Just a Memory
by BlueCupcakes
Summary: He and Claire shared a past together. Simple as that. But when Claire moves to Mineral Town in search of him, will their feelings resurface, or will she just become a forgotten memory? Claire x Gray. HM:MFoMT
1. Chapter 1

**This happens to be my first Harvest Moon fic, yay! I would like to thank _Jean Cooper_ and _Prologue _helping me out with this story! You girls rule! :3**

**Disclaimer: I had nothing to do with the making of Harvest Moon.**

* * *

_He looked at me, his eyes watery. Something was wrong, I just knew it. He never cried, not at all. So this had to be big. He took my hand into his larger one and rubbed his thumb across my fingers. I was dying inside. Why couldn't he just spit it out?_

_"Claire…"_

_Oh, the way he said my name. It sounded as though he was dreading what he was about to tell me._

_"Y…Yes?" I stammered._

_He sighed, his eyes closing painfully. I stared at him, waiting for his eyes to open. I loved his eyes. People say your eyes are the windows to your soul. But not his. You had to look deep into them long enough to figure out what he was feeling. His eyes were different, they were beautiful. He opened his lovely orbs and all I could see was pain. I mentally cringed. I hated seeing him in pain, it almost ruined me. What was wrong?_

_"Claire, I…I'm moving."_

_My eyes went wide, "What?" I wasn't expecting that._

_"I'm sorry," He said, looking away. "But since I don't want to work for my father's company, he's making me move to Mineral Town. You know the place, right? Well, he said that we have a relative over there that has offered me a job, and would appreciate it if I went over there right away so I can start. I'm leaving in two days."_

_It felt as though a bus had ran me over, leaving large tire tracks across my heart. I knew he didn't want to follow his father's career path. But I never knew his lousy excuse for a father would make him move away. Away from his home. Away from…me. In only two days!_

_"And you're leaving?" Why did I sound so calm? I definitely didn't feel that way inside._

_He looked me in the eyes. "Yes."_

_I looked away, not wanting to look into his beautiful eyes any longer, even though I knew this would probably be the last time I would be able to stare into them._

_Mineral Town was days away, not including the time it took to take a boat across the ocean to get there. I heard a lot of people in the city talking about the place._

_"Why? Why do you have to go all the way over there? Can't you wait until we are out of high school? I mean, we'll be graduating soon. You could always stay and find a job here."_

_"My father is making me go, Claire. I didn't say I wanted to go."_

_"Since when did you start listening to your father?!" I was almost in hysterics now. _

_"I'm only seventeen; I have to listen to him."_

_And then something hit me. "This isn't just about you not wanting to take over his company, is it? It's about me too."_

_He squeezed my hand, hard. "…Yes."_

_I knew it. I knew this whole time. His father never liked me. My family didn't belong to upper class like his family. He looked down on me, like I was a piece of chewed up gum that got stuck to the bottom of his four-hundred-dollar pair of Ralph Lauren loafers. His father didn't want his son and I to get any more involved than what we already were._

_"So you're just going to let him do this? Make you leave and ridicule me. YOUR girlfriend for the past four years. Is that it?"_

_"Claire, I would never let him ridicule you and get away with it. I told him off, but he just got angrier."_

_"Well, you'll be turning eighteen next winter; you'll be able to come back. He won't be able to tell you what to do anymore."_

_He took my other hand in his and looked me straight in the eye. "Claire, you know I love you," He offered a weak smile. "But I don't think I'll want to come back to the city. You know how I am. I don't think I'll be able to hold a job here. Maybe I could do better in a small town. There won't be as many people there that I would have to talk too. You know how I am around other people."_

_So this was the reason why he wouldn't be coming back? He thought he wasn't good enough for a job in the city?! I swear I could have punched his father in the face right about now. After all, he was the cause of my boyfriend's utter self-consciousness. He had absolutely no confidence in himself what-so-ever._

_"I think you would do great in the city. We could move in together." I had to constantly remind him that he was good enough, that he could do anything that he put his mind too. I had to mend the wounds his father had inflicted upon his self-confidence. If I didn't, who else would?_

_He gave me a soft smile. "You never give up on me," He said quietly. "Why can't you come with me, to Mineral Town? It could just be you and me, Claire."_

_He wants me to leave with him? Leave my family? What about my education? Wait…scratch that. I wouldn't be able to afford college. Even on a scholarship, the extra costs for books and supplies would kill my parents and my savings._

_"I don't think I'm ready for that. I want to graduate high school, and try to get a college education. And what about my parents? I love them too much to leave them right now. They have _

_done so much for me as it is." I would give anything to be with him, but how could I move so far away from my own loving family?_

_"You could always visit." He sounded hopeful. I shook my head in response. It would cost too much for me to travel all the way over there. "So, I guess this is goodbye, then," He asked, letting go of my hands. His arms fell to his sides and he stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do next._

_Tears were filling the rims of my eyes. They would be falling any minute now. "I guess so."_

_He shuffled closer to me, wrapping his arms around my body, bringing me close to him. "I love you."_

_I wanted to say that I loved him. I wanted to say his name and look into his beautiful eyes. I wanted so much. But I just couldn't bring myself to say those three words to someone who I would probably never see again. I pushed myself away from him and looked at the ground. It took every ounce of my being to force myself not look up at his face. How could he do this to me? Didn't he know how much he meant to me? What this would do to me?_

_The tears started falling then, and I couldn't stop them. I turned on my heel sharply, and began running. Hot, salty tears blurred my vision, but that didn't stop me. I could hear him calling my name, but he didn't run after me like I thought he would. Maybe he thought it was better this way; that we wouldn't have that awkwardness between us when he finally caught up to me. I kept running, with no idea as to where I was going. I just had to get away. Away from him._

I forced the tears in my eyes to disappear before they escaped. I couldn't cry over this, the last time I had talked to him, not while I had an audience. I leaned over the boat railing, extending my hand into the cool, blue ocean water. Cool mist swept across my face as I leaned over the railing even more.

"Miss, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You could go overboard." I straightened myself out and turned around. The boat driver, Zack, was staring right at me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

He stared at me for a couple of more seconds before returning his gaze to the open ocean ahead of us. "We'll be arriving in Mineral Town shortly."

Mineral Town, of course. I almost forgot why I was on this dinky boat, out in the middle of the ocean with a stranger who looked like a championship wrestler who could break me in half without even breaking a sweat.

I learned that a farm was up for sale in Mineral Town while reading the newspaper one morning. I immediately thought of _him_. It's been four years since I last saw him. Four years since he told me that he had to move away. It made my heart ache just thinking about it.

When I saw the ad, I practically leaped up with joy. I couldn't believe that I might be able to see him again. So I up and quit my job, which was being a waitress at a local coffee shop (My prediction was right, my college education didn't go so well), and I used most of my savings to buy the farm that sounded promising. The rest of my savings were in one of the few suitcases full of the necessities that I had brought with me.

I was so stupid for not leaving with him four years ago. My life wasn't that great after he left. I went through my senior year in a daze. I didn't even bother spending time with any of my friends, and for that, I lost them all. Before I knew it, I was graduating. I got a scholarship for college, but like I said, the costs were just too high for my family and I to afford. So I ended up in a quaint little café serving fat-free cappuccinos and iced coffee. And there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of him, my first and only love. I always wondered if he thought of me every day as well.

But, I guess that's why I was on this boat. Well, that, and to try out the farming life. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Definitely better than my waitressing job, that's for sure.

"We're here," Zack stated, interrupting my thoughts.

As soon as he pulled the boat up to the one lone dock, he immediately jumped out and tied it to one of the two tie-offs on the dock. He helped me out of the tiny vessel and retrieved my suitcases from the storage compartment. Zack set them down on the dock next to me and pulled something out of one of his pockets.

"Here, it's a map of Mineral Town. Even though it's a tiny village, you can still get lost."

I gently took the map out of his meaty hands, all the while staring at him. Zack was not of normal height. He was hovering over me by at least seven inches. And I was five foot, five inches. His tan, beefy arms were uncovered and they looked quite…menacing. But now that I had a good look at him, his face looked gentle and caring. His brown hair stood straight up. I wonder how much hair gel he used everyday…

"I'll be by your farm later to show you how to ship things."

_Ship things?_

He must have seen my questioning expression, but he asked nothing of it. He gave me a small nod and headed off towards a brown shack next to the dock. I grunted and unfolded the map to take a quick look at it. Zack's gentle and caring face did nothing to uphold his personality. When I finally located the farm –my new home- on the map, I trudged across the sandy beach, struggling with my three heavy suitcases.

* * *

It took me forever, but I finally located my farm. And let me tell you something, this farm looked nothing like how it was described in that newspaper ad. Lousy newspapers. Why I outta…

"Hello there!"

I screamed. Loud. I whipped around to see some short, stout man standing under the entranceway of my farm.

"Oh, so sorry about that." It looked as though he was smiling at me, but his thick brown mustache hid his mouth. "I'm Thomas, the mayor of Mineral Town."

"You scared me half to death," I said, catching my breath.

The man's eyebrows shot up, both touching the rim of the small red hat that lay atop of his round head. "Yes, I'm aware of that," He replied. "Any who, you are the woman who bought the farm?"

Who else would I be? "Yes."

To my surprise, he started laughing hysterically. "What's so funny?"

"I…can't…believe…you…fell for that ad!" He wiped a few stray tears from his cheeks. "Every now and then, tourists will come here and take a look at this old farm. But once they see it, they high tail it right out of here. Hahaha, I still can't believe this!"

Oh, now he was just getting on my nerves. What was this guy's problem? Did he like making fun of young woman? If there was a very heavy object in my reach, I'm sure I would have hit him upside the head with it. Wait, I have suitcases! If only if I could lift them above my head…

Seeing the way I eyed him, and then my suitcases, Thomas got the hint. "Whoa, whoa. Don't need to go to extremes, now. I'll stop."

I grunted, crossing my arms. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to welcome you to Mineral Town, and to offer you a few tips to get started."

_Ugh._ I didn't even know if I wanted to stay here. I cringed at the sight of the field. Tree stumps, branches, weeds, rocks and other debris littered the large area. It would take me days to clean that up, not to mention all the energy I would be using to do so. "What if I don't want to stay here?"

His eyes widened. "Why not? You already bought the farm, why not give it a chance?" His eyes sparkled.

Apparently he wanted someone to take over this farm. Bad.

I shrugged my shoulders, "It couldn't hurt." It's not like I had anything to go back too.

He clapped his hands together, "Marvelous!" The next words he spoke came out rather quickly, and I had to strain my ears to understand them. "First off, I think you should meet everyone in town; do some exploring. Then, buy some seeds at our local supermarket or maybe even buy yourself a chicken to help you get started. Everyone here is very friendly, and I'm sure if you asked them, they would be more than welcome to help."

"Okay." So, maybe he was _actually_ helping me. I had no idea what I was to do when it came to farming. I'd take all the help I could get. "Thanks."

"You are very welcome," He said cheerfully, walking out of the farm. "Come visit me anytime," He yelled over his shoulder. Yeah, like that'll happen.

* * *

I slammed the door to my one room house and ran a hand through my hair. Seriously, one room? There wasn't even a kitchen in there! No bathroom, no telephone. And there were only four channels available on the television,_ FOUR_! How did the person living here before me _survive_? Well, at least there was a bed and a table with chairs in there. I let out a sigh of relief. At least the unpacking had gotten done. There wasn't much for me to unpack, so it only took me a couple of hours to get everything situated.

I took out the map of Mineral Town, deciding to take a look at the small town. It wasn't very big, just like that Zack guy said.

_Mental note: Do NOT get on Zack's bad side!_

Anyway, there were about ten stores in the village, which I thought was a lot considering how tiny it was. There was a library, a clinic, a church, a general store, a winery, an inn, a blacksmith's, and two other farms that occupied the area. There were other buildings among the stores, but they didn't look that important.

Where would _he_ be working? My heart twisted painfully at the thought of him. Would he still be here? Had he forgotten about me? Does he still love me, or have I just become a forgotten memory? Before I knew it, there were tear stains on the weathered paper I was clutching in my hands. No, I couldn't think these things. I had to stay strong and positive. I just knew he still loved me, why wouldn't he? I wiped the tears from my eyes and trekked out of my farm.

I furrowed my brows as I read the sign next to the first building that I had happened upon. It was the blacksmith's. I suddenly felt very frustrated; he didn't even tell me _where_ he was going to be working at. Well, it shouldn't be too hard; this isn't a very big place. I just hoped he was still here. I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the doorknob, opening the door.

First off, the room was hot. And it smelled like copper, and sweat. _Yuck._

I approached an older, white-haired man who was standing behind a counter fiddling with some sort of tool. "Hello, I'm Claire."

The man looked up at me and eyed my hand that was extended out, waiting for him to take it. He gave me a small smile and grabbed my hand firmly with his large, calloused one. "Hello there. You must be the new girl everyone's been talking about." _Ugh._ People were already talking about me? He let my hand go. I wiped my soot covered hand on my overalls. "I'm Saibara. If you have a tool that needs to be upgraded or fixed, bring it to me."

I smiled. "I'll do that."

"Hmph. I'm sorry you couldn't meet my grandson; he's over at the mines obtaining some ores for me. I had to get him out of my hair somehow; he just makes a huge mess of things." Saibara crossed his arms over his chest. "Gray can be such a pain sometimes," He stated, talking to himself.

I froze.

_Gray._

"Wh…What?" I stuttered.

The older man looked at me weirdly. "I was talking about Gray, my grandson."

So he was still here. And he was working…as a…blacksmith?

"…Oh."

He started fiddling with the same tool again. "If you don't mind, I have some important work to finish. Come back anytime, I'm always free to talk when I'm not working."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I practically ran out of there, slamming the door loudly behind me. The guy must have thought I was crazy or something. I pressed my back up against the cool stone of the building and breathed in slowly. I closed my eyes and tried recollecting my thoughts. Gray stayed here like he said he was going to do. This was the job his father forced him into four years ago? A blacksmith? Not that I have anything against blacksmiths, but, I just thought Gray would go on to something bigger than that. I thought he would _want_ something bigger than that. But I guess I was wrong.

My eyes flew open. I needed to get away from here. He might have been coming back at any moment. I definitely wasn't ready to confront him, not yet. I would avoid him at all costs. I might not be able to avoid him for too long, since the size of this village, but I could definitely stay away from him for a good amount of time. I pushed myself off the building and hurriedly walked over to the farm across from me.

Apparently this was the poultry farm. I quickly walked through the door, out of breath.

* * *

Okay, so, the family who owned the poultry farm was a little weird. How could I describe the son, Rick? One word: _Nerdy_. What was up with that headband he was wearing? Was it to keep the hair out of his face? Well I have some advice for him, he should just cut it. And Popuri, his sister. _What_ was up with her _pink_ hair? Their mom, Lillia, had pink hair too. Weird colored hair, but a very friendly woman. I liked her. I guess their father went away to find some medicine for Lillia, who had some disease that made her weak. I do hope he comes back soon with a cure.

I took out the map again. Whoa, when did I walk all that distance? I was already at Doug's Inn. Whoever that was. I reached for the door, but someone opened it before I could grab it. The person collided into me before I could notify them that I was standing there. "Oof," I stumbled backwards a little.

"S…Sorry…"

I looked up at the voice and almost gasped. This boy's face was contorted in such sadness that it almost made me want to cry. He had long brown hair that was pulled back into a messy ponytail. His eyes were a dark chocolate brown color that showed much pain and sorrow. What was wrong with this boy? I didn't have time to ask him his name for he pushed passed me quite fast and walked down the cobblestone path, not even glancing back at me.

What a nice introduction.

I yanked the door open and stepped through. I almost walked into a red-headed girl.

"Oh! You must be the new girl who bought the farm!" She said enthusiastically.

She knew too? Geez, everyone must know me. "Yeah...I'm Claire."

"Hi," She said, tossing her head to the side, making her ponytail swish around, "My name's Ann. I work here with my dad. How awesome of you to stop by!"

Her voice was a little loud, but very sweet. The overalls she was wearing looked a lot like mine. I wasn't much for fashion, and it looked like she wasn't either. "I have an idea! Why don't you stay and I'll have my dad fix you his specialty? You'll love it!"

What was I suppose to say to that? I didn't want to seem rude, so I agreed. "…Sure."

She went through a door in the back of the large room and came back a few minutes later. She gestured me to a table and sat down. I pulled out a chair next to her and sat down, feeling a bit awkward. "So, what made you buy that farm?"

I tensed. I didn't really want to tell her the biggest reason as to why I came here. She obviously seen the pained look on my face and she immediately frowned. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked such a personal question."

"No, no. It's okay. There are plenty of reasons why I came here."

She smiled. "Well, maybe you can tell me about them some other time, then."

I returned the smile and relaxed. I decided that I was going to like Ann.

Ann's father, Doug, came out with his 'specialty' a little while later. "Here you go, Claire." He set the plates on the table: Cheese fondue, apple pie, and grape juice. "Eat up!"

I did what I was told. Doug's food was excellent. Never in my life had I ate something this good. "That was wonderful, Doug. How do you do it?"

He gave out a hearty laugh. "I just like to make things. I think it comes naturally. But, thanks."

"I'm glad you liked it Claire," Ann said, "It's good to have a nice meal, isn't it?"

I nodded and gave her a smile. Before I could even ask, Doug added, "This one's on the house. Just make sure you come back often, Ann would sure love the company!"

Ann blushed, "Dad!"

"I will!" And I would. I needed a friend, and I thought Ann would be a very good one.

As I walked out the door, I looked back and gave the red-head a small wave; shutting the door behind me soon after.

The sun was already setting, giving off a faint orange-yellow glow. I checked my wristwatch. Four-thirty. Wow. Where did the time go?

I looked around for a moment. Did I have enough time to go somewhere else and then make it back to my house before it got dark? I shrugged. I guess I would find out. I turned to my left and started walking down the cobbled path. It was quite peaceful, hearing no noise of automobiles or people screaming. I was beginning to like this. I turned left, onto another path.

The sun was setting fast, and I hesitated for a moment. Maybe I should just go back home before it got dark. I didn't want to get lost. But I kept walking straight, with my head down. No, I was going to turn around. No way was I going to get lost. If I was to keep going, I wouldn't know where I would end up. After all, the map would be pretty hard to read when it was dark.

I sighed and looked up, just in time to run into something rock hard.

I fell, waiting to hit the hard brick. But, there was no impact. Hah. This has to be what, the third person I ran into today? I cracked my eyes open to see two huge, ocean-blue eyes staring at me intently. My breath caught in my throat. I knew those eyes. Those eyes that were so deep that I thought I could just dive into them and never hit the bottom, like the deep depths of the ocean.

Gray.

"Are you okay?" His voice was a tad bit deeper than when I last heard it.

It's been so long.

"I…uh…I'm all right."

He pulled me to my feet and let me go, much to my disappointment. Why hasn't he noticed me yet? It can't be due to the light, there was still plenty of it. But how I wish it was dark enough so that I could blame it on that.

"Um…You must be new here. I'm Gray. And you are…?" He adjusted the hat on his head so that it covered his eyes.

I felt like someone slapped me across the face. He didn't recognize me. How could I've been so stupid? I should have never come here. Without even telling him my name, which he should have known, I whipped around and started running. I didn't know which direction I ran in, but I didn't really care. I don't even think he followed me.

Just like last time.

I slowed to a stop. Somehow I had made it all the way to Mineral Beach. I plopped down on the dock and let my feet dangle carelessly over the edge. And then I bawled my eyes out, loudly. At that moment, I really didn't care if anyone could hear me. I just needed to get it all out.

After about an hour of useless blubbering, I finally got myself off the dock and walked home. I collapsed onto my bed, not even caring to change into my night clothes.

I cried myself to sleep.

_Ugh. I was dreading this day all summer:_

_First day of high school…as a freshman._

_I didn't want to go. Not at all. I was afraid that I wouldn't fit in. That no one would like me. I was experiencing this on my own. I had no friends really; I was sort of an outcast. Most of the people I went to school with based friendship on material things. If you didn't wear a certain brand, you could forget about having them as friends. But, I didn't really care. I wouldn't want friends like that anyway._

_The high school was in walking distance of my house. Thank goodness. I hated the bus and I just loved walking. The fresh air does a person good. So that's what I'm doing now. Walking, to school. Well more like a turtle walk. I had no desire to get to school anytime soon._

_Too bad though, I was already standing in front of it. And…I was about fifteen minutes early. I gave out a long, dramatic sigh before I walked up the steps and through the school doors. Even though it was early, there were many students shuffling around the school. Why would anyone want to be here early? Beats me._

_I recognized some people from my eighth grade class walking around with some people I never saw before. I kept my head down as I walked. I didn't want anyone noticing me. Not like they would._

_I didn't know if I should wander around aimlessly, or actually ask someone where I should go or what I should do. I chose the latter. I didn't want to look like an idiot. Now, should I ask a teacher or a student?_

_I walked down the long hallway littered with a couple of stray students until I saw a white sign labeled: 'School Office' in large, black letters. I walked into the room and stood there awkwardly, waiting for someone to acknowledge me. After waiting for about five minutes with no one even looking in my direction, I walked up to a small desk in which an old lady sat behind._

_I faked a cough to get her attention, but apparently that didn't work. "Um…uh…Excuse me, ma'am?"_

_The woman looked up from her sappy romance novel and stared straight into my eyes. I could see where her makeup line met her actual skin. Her lipstick was a bit too dark for her pasty complexion. The way she wore her eyeliner made it seem as though she didn't know how to put it on. Her eye shadow was so dark that if I were to wipe some off, you still wouldn't be able to see her skin. Her scraggly whitish-blonde hair sat right on top of her head in an ugly bun. Her face reminded me of an old clown someone would have nightmares about. It made me want to puke all over her face. At least it would have been an improvement._

"_What?" Her voice was nasally and squeaky. Major headache._

"_I…um…I was wondering where I was supposed to go. I…uh… I'm a freshman."_

"_All students must report to their homerooms when school begins."_

"_Would…Would you mind telling me where my homeroom is?" _

"_You are already supposed to have that information."_

_She scared me._

"_I…I know. But I lost it." This was true. My dad had thrown it away days ago._

_She let out an exasperated sigh and started tapping away on her keyboard. "Name."_

"_Huh?"_

"_I need your name, _please_." I knew it hurt her to add the 'please' at the end of that. This lady was just horribly nasty!_

"_Oh, sorry. Claire Anastasia Bradley."_

_She tapped her keyboard some more. "Homeroom: Miss Greenwood. Room two-oh-one, second floor."_

"_Thank you," I said, giving her a small smile. _

"_Hmph." She didn't even look up at me. She went back to her cheap romance novel. I groaned inwardly to myself. I felt bad for her grandchildren._

_I walked back towards the door and opened it, just as someone yelled out from behind me. "Hey!"_

_I turned around, walking backwards through the door. I scanned the room quickly, seeing only the sight of a tall boy clapping another boy on the back. I turned back around sharply, feeling stupid for thinking someone was actually talking to me._

_I ran into something soft and warm._

"_Oh!" I stumbled back, dazed. A pair of well-toned arms grabbed me by the shoulders, stopping me from falling backwards. I immediately put my head down and stared intently at the floor. "Sorry…"_

_Me and my clumsiness. I was already running into people here, and it was only my first day. The person hovering over me chuckled and loosened their grip on my shoulders. "It's all right."_

_I turned around and looked up, seeing the most beautiful eyes I had ever laid sight on. They were the color of the deepest parts of the ocean and they're depth was endless. I thought I could get lost in them right where I stood._

_I was lost for words._

"_I'm Gray Walters. And you are?"_

_Wait- Gray Walters? As in Gray Walters, the son of Liam Walters, big time stock broker and founder of The Walters Exchange? Oh yes, I knew all about him; I was interested in what Walters did for a living. Liam Walters was huge. His company was advertised in every magazine, newspaper, and television commercial you could think of. How could you _not_ know him? And why was his son in this tiny little public high school? I would think he would be in some rich, snobby private school. Huh._

"_Claire Bradley."_

"_Hi Claire," He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Is this your first year here?" Was I making him nervous?_

_He didn't seem stuck-up at all. "Uh…yeah. I'm a freshman. Are you?"_

"_Yes," He said, moving his head ever so slightly that the light made his reddish-brown hair shine. "Who…who do you have for homeroom?"_

_Someone walked up behind Gray and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked back, the girl blushed and stood there. He grabbed my arm and tugged on it gently. He pulled me out into the hall, giving the girl enough room to get through the doorway we were standing in. He let go of my hand and crossed his arms across his chest._

"_So?"_

"_Hmmm? Oh!" I laughed, nervous. "I have Miss Greenwood."_

_He gave me a small smile. "Me too," He said, uncrossing his arms. Blushing, he asked, "Do…do you, uh, mind if I walk with you?"_

_Now it was my turn to blush. I hid my face behind the blonde curtain that was my hair. He really just asked me that? Gray Walters _just_ asked me that? I was almost hyperventilating. Wait, I didn't even know if he was really Liam Walters' son. I wanted to know, but I didn't want to be rude, either._

"_S…Sure," I said._

_He looked pleased. "Great!"_

_I gave him a large smile._

_We walked up to our homeroom, comparing schedules. Gray and I had homeroom, Biology, and English together. And I found out that he, indeed, was Liam Walters' son. I was _

_pretty sure that he didn't need to tell anyone that though, his resemblance was strikingly close to his father's. Gray also said that he didn't want to go to some private school, he wanted to go to public school just like any other kid did._

_Once we made it to the correct room, he sat down in the desk next to mine, conversing with me the whole time. I was rather enjoying myself. Most of the students in our homeroom were already in the room, chatting away with their friends and catching up on lost time. Plenty of the girls, which made up most of the class, eyed Gray up and down. That made me jealous, but I didn't really know why._

_A lot of the kids said a few 'hello's' to Gray, which he offered in return. For his father being a millionaire, Gray sure didn't get a lot of attention. Was it because they didn't know his last name?_

_He kept his undivided attention on me. _Why_ was_ that_? I was no one special. My shoulder length, dirty blonde hair did nothing for my pale complexion. I thought my eyes were a dull blue, but my mother always said my eyes were like the sky on a cloudless day. Whatever that meant. I wore no make-up; I felt no need for it. I wasn't much for making a fashion statement. I didn't like standing out like most girls liked to do. I guess you could call me normal._

_A woman, who looked to be in her twenties, walked into the room, causing the kids not in seats to rush into any open ones that were available nearby. She stopped in front of the room and eyed us all. After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. "Hello. My name is Miss Greenwood. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next four years." Just then, Gray turned towards me and gave me a smile, showing off his pearly whites. Everything around us disappeared and I was left breathless._

_I just knew this was going to be a good year. I hoped we both could be friends. He would have been the first one I had in a very long time._

I jolted up from my dream. Why did I have to dream about that? It was bad enough that that memory had to taunt me when I was awake, but now it was attacking me in my sleep. I glanced at my alarm clock on the night stand next to my bed, my eyes still sleepy. Six a.m. Why did I get up this early?

Then I heard an annoying sound. Was…someone…knocking on my door? I groaned and wiped the sleep from eyes. The skin underneath my eyes were raw and hard from the tears that dried there. I stumbled out of bed just as the rapping on my door got louder. "Coming!" I cringed at the sound of my voice. Raspy and dry.

I did my best to smooth out my hair and make myself presentable without using a mirror before I went to the door. I wrenched the wooden door open and looked up at my visitor.

* * *

**So, you're probably thinking, "What's up with all of these flashbacks?" Well, they are important, due to how they show how Claire and Gray's relationship when they were younger develops. So, yes, you will be seeing a lot of them for a while. The first flashback is the last time Claire saw Gray. And then the flasbacks start going in order, first to last, all leading up to the first one you read. Don't worry, it will all make sense soon enough! :3**

**As for other pairings, more will develop as soon as all these plot bunnies in my head get organized. I have many ideas; though one probably won't be canon. The rest will be!**

**Hmm...next chapter should be up in about a week or so!**


	2. Chapter 2

****

Just a Memory - Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything dealing with Harvest Moon.**

**Okay, so, I updated late by a few days. It's just that this chapter gave me a really hard time and it took me a few days to think of something to write. -sigh- But, you'll all love this chapter! Seriously, you will! There is some Graire fluff in here, as well as Grary fluff! I was actually thinking of making a Grary one-shot. I already have an idea in mind! XD Let me know if I should start writing it!**

**Oh! I just love all the reviews I've recieved! I honestly didn't think I'd get this many on the first chapter! Reviews are the fuel for my inspiration and writing, so thank you! So- here is the review replies! **

**Prologue:** You're welcome! You have been such a great help, and you always listen to me when I go on and on about this story. Thanks! Oh, and yes, Gray is a jerk. But not for long! -hint hint- -nudge nudge-

**b4k4 ch4n:** Thanks for the review! Yes, Claire did freak out a little because of nerves. It happens. XD

**chibi-guardian:** Thanks! Flashbacks are fun, aren't they? Well, here is the next chapter- with a flashback!

**Jean Cooper:** -slaps Gray as well- No, wait, shouldn't you be slapping me? I DID write that! Heh heh.

**StarrNight:** Thank you so much! A lot of readers have been telling me that they like the whole college-education-not-working idea! I feel proud! :3 Yes, forgetting someone in just four years DOES take skill, BUT...well, I'll let you read this chapter to find out! Oh, -and- there will be -cough-ClairexKai-cough-.

**BioXFantasy247:** Thanks Kim!

**Serencity:** Thanks! Well, here is the update! Enjoy!

* * *

It was Zack. He was there to teach me how to "ship" things. Whatever. I was really in no mood for him to teach me how to do something as simple as putting things in a brown wooden box. Well, at least, that's what I thought that brown box outside was for…

"Hello Claire. I trust that you had a good day yesterday?"

_Whoa._ _When did he turn into a nice person?_

"Um…yeah. How…are you?" I asked, baffled.

"I'm really well, thanks. So, are you ready to learn how to do some shipping? Since I'm in charge of all the shipping around here, I have to make sure everyone knows how to do it."

"Okay," I said, still confused. He definitely wasn't like this yesterday. Oh well, everyone has their off days once in a while.

* * *

"And that's the basic run-down of shipping."

I swear, the man said the word "shipping" about a hundred times in the past thirty minutes. At least he wasn't being a jerk. That was a plus.

"Just remember that you have a shipping bin in your chicken coop and your barn."

Oh, I didn't even get the chance to look at the other buildings on my farm yet. I would have to do that today. "Sure thing."

"Okay, I'll see you everyday around five p.m. But I have holidays off; a man's gotta have a break too! Don't work too hard now, Claire. See ya!" With that, he was gone.

I took a deep, relaxing breath and brushed my hair back with my hand. I decided that I needed a bath. During his rant about shipping, Zack told me about a hot springs in the forest. And everything else that was in that small wooded area. I went back into my house and fished out some overalls, a flannel shirt, and the necessary undergarments; grabbing a towel on my way out.

* * *

The steaming hot water felt good on my skin as I submerged into the pool. It took me a while to find it, and thank goodness I didn't get lost. If it wasn't for the woodcutter, Gotz, I would probably be roaming around the forest, lost.

I always loved taking baths. It was a time where I could unwind, relax, and just think. The chirping birds and the fresh spring air just made it all the more enjoyable. I could really get used to this. Unless it was raining. Or snowing.

… I really have to get my own bathroom…

_Well, that would mean I would have to earn money. I would have to go to the supermarket and get some seeds to earn some cash. I could use the rest of my savings for seeds and such…Maybe buy a chicken or too. _

Wait- did I even have any tools?

I _did_ see a chest in my house, I wonder if it had any tools in it…

And _WHAT_ was up with Gray last night? Why didn't he recognize me? It wasn't dark out, or I wouldn't have been able to recognize him! His eyes are very bright…Okay! So maybe I was wrong about the sunlight. It was darker than I thought.

_Stop it, Claire. You are ruining your valuable bathing time! You need to stop thinking of him for the time being and just relax._

I laughed outwardly at my foolishness. I splashed some water around and looked up. I let out a gasp and tensed.

_What the hell is Gray doing here?_

I could see his blue UMA hat through the railings surrounding the hot springs. I sunk down under the water, to where only my head was sticking out.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?"

Oh, oh, oh. This is _not_ good. I _was not_ ready for _this_. I could see him trying to peak over the railings, but to no avail. He moved out of my range of sight and I immediately took action.

I stood up, making sure I made little noise as possible, and quickly turned around. I eyed the girl's changing room, but thought against it. What if he came through the boy's changing room and found me? I took another look behind me and sighed in relief. He was still nowhere in sight.

I cursed myself for leaving my clothes and towel in the changing room. I didn't think anyone would be coming, let alone _this_ happening. My eyes caught an opening in the railing and I shuffled towards it. I glanced behind me once more before jumping out of the pool, and onto soft, green grass. I frantically looked for anything to hide behind. Eyeing a large tree by the pond across the way, I crossed the distance in record time. I hid behind the large brown trunk and stole a peak around the tree.

He was still nowhere to been seen. I sighed in relief. But there was one more predicament I didn't think of earlier:

I was stuck here…completely _naked_.

I just can't let him know I'm here. Yeah, that's it. I can be stealthy. Stealthy like a ninja. Well, the stealthy part I'm okay with. I don't think I know how to be a ninja.

I shuffled closer to the tree, trying not to fall on the slippery white rocks outlining the pond behind me. The water's edge was so close that one wrong move would send me into the crystal clear water below me. I glanced around the tree again, and saw him coming out of the hot springs with his head down. I stood on my tiptoes, anxious, and craned my neck to get a better look…

…Just as he looked up from the ground, locking eyes with me. My eyes went wide and my breath caught in my throat. If I was to see my face, I would probably look like a startled deer caught in headlights. I started backing up as he mouthed my name.

_My name._

Did I tell him my name? Or did he remember?

A shocked expression washed over his handsome features.

And before I knew it, I was falling backwards, towards the cold water. I let out a small scream before I went under.

* * *

I resurfaced, sputtering out water.

_Oh my, oh my. Did he see me naked? Did he? Oh no, no, no. He probably did…Oh how wonderful. Why did I have to fall? Gah, I'm such a klutz! Wait, the tree was blocking his view from me! He only saw my head! Okay…breath, Claire. Just breathe._

I turned around in the water and was face to face with Gray. "Eeeep!" I hurriedly covered my chest with my arms, my cheeks flushing.

He blushed as well, but covered his face with the brim of his hat and looked away. "Claire…are you okay?" He asked, worry lacing his voice.

I was lost for words. He really did remember me. _Curse you, sun! It's your entire fault for him not recognizing me sooner!_

Oh great. Now I'm talking to that huge, yellow, blazing hot inanimate object in the sky.

"I…I'm fine."

"Do…you need help? I…uh…I mean…," He stuttered, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Still blushing, I said, "Could you go get my towel out of the girls' locker room?"

He simply nodded and jogged off towards the hot springs. I tried hard not to look at his long, muscular legs that could be seen through his pants. And I tried _really_ hard not to stare at his well-toned, delicious…

_Whoa. I do not need to go there! Behave yourself, Claire!_

I obeyed my inner conscious and quickly casted my eyes elsewhere.

It didn't take him long to come back, holding my pink towel with little blue flowers printed on it. I swam to the edge and grabbed the rocks to hold me up; my legs were tired from keeping myself above water. He held the towel out for me, which I took gratefully. He turned around without a word and crossed his arms, waiting for me to cover myself.

I climbed out of the water and quickly wrapped the cloth around me; the only noise evident was the water rushing down the waterfall behind me. I faked a small cough, trying to get his attention. He turned around and looked anywhere _but_ my face.

"Do you want me to…walk you home?"

_Yes! Yes, yes, yes!_ _There are so many questions I need to ask you, so many things I need to tell you, Gray._

"Sure." It took all my will power not to squeal with excitement. Why did I ever try to avoid him?

_Dang. My clothes!_

"But, can you wait until I change first?"

He simply nodded, and I started off towards the hot springs; feeling his eyes on me the whole time.

* * *

I dressed in haste, butterflies floating around in my stomach. Gray saw me naked. Well, he might have. I'm not really sure…

And I would have to walk with him to my farm not knowing if he did or not.

No! The tree was blocking his view. Yes, the tree. He did NOT see me naked.

_Yeah, Claire, keep telling yourself that._

But, on the other hand, he knows who I am. That made the uneasiness disappear.

A little.

I emerged from the hot springs a few minutes later, fully dressed and ready to confront him. He was sitting on a tree stump with his legs stretched out and his arms across his chest. I could see some of his reddish brown locks poking out from under his hat, glinting in the sunlight, like they always did. He was staring out in space intently, oblivious of my presence.

He was simply breathtaking.

I slowly walked towards him, making as little noise as possible; trying to savor the moment. He turned his attention towards me, offering me a small smile. Oh how I missed that smile. It really did leave me breathless.

He stood up and waited for me to catch up to him before walking silently by my side. After a few minutes, I finally found the courage to speak up. "So…how have you been?"

He cringed. _Uh oh._

"I've been better."

I looked up at him. He was looking straight ahead, with a scowl on his face. "How so?" I asked, my voice calm and gentle.

He scoffed and kicked a pebble off the dirt path. "It's my grandfather," He mumbled.

His grandfather? Saibara? He seemed nice to me.

"He just keeps pushing me to do better, and I'm doing the best I can. I've been his apprentice for _four_ years now. And he still doesn't deem me worthy enough to give me a damn compliment."

I've never seen Gray this angry before. Even when his father criticized him to no end, he was never angry. But I was there to tell him that he was worthy. The past four years…I haven't been.

Was it possible that his grandfather was pushing him _too_ far? And that no one was there to tell him that he could accomplish anything? But, still, it took awhile for someone to perfect a skill they are learning. Gray was probably blowing things out of proportion. He usually did that.

"Well, Gray, it's called _training._ You just can't expect to be good at it overnight. You have to work at it to get better."

He stopped mid-stride and looked at me, ocean blue eyes staring into my sky blue ones. After an awkward amount of silence, he sighed. "You're right. I just have to keep practicing."

We started walking again; he was taking long strides and it was hard keeping up with him. He noticed this and immediately slowed down.

I thought this conversation was going to be a lot more…uncomfortable than this. But it seemed as though nothing happened between us four years ago. It was unreal. I was jolted out of my thoughts when he spoke to me again.

"What about you? It's been so long." His voice was soft and quiet. He was much calmer than a few minutes ago.

It was weird talking to him like this. Weird, but not uncomfortable. I wanted to know so much, but I didn't want to push it, either. He already told me what was bothering him, which surprised me. Didn't he feel weird about this situation as much as I did?

I saw my tiny house not too far away, and I was reluctant for this moment to end. Part of it was due to the inevitable question I had to ask him and the other was that I just didn't want to lose his closeness. It was absent from my life for far too long.

Does it make me a selfish person for wanting him for me and only me?

"Okay, I guess," I said.

We were at my door then. He turned to look at me and I couldn't name the emotion that was hidden in his eyes. "Why did you come here, Claire?"

And there it was. The question I was dreading to answer.

"I…I…" _Gah, get a hold of yourself, Claire._ "I saw this farm in the paper one day and I decided to buy it." There, that wasn't so hard.

"Oh, I see." He sounded…hurt.

Did I give him the wrong answer?

And then, I asked him, "What about…us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are…we…?"

_What I mean is..._

"Claire," He sighed, "I don't know. I just don't know."

_What?!_

"_What_ are _you_ trying to say?"

He turned away and played with the brim of his cap. "I don't know if I still feel the same way about you, Claire. Maybe…Maybe we just need some time."

Time? _TIME?_ Four years wasn't long enough for him? I furrowed my brow. Where was he going with this?

"I just don't think…"

_What don't you think?_

"I just don't think we should dwell on what we had in the past, you know?"

And that's when I slammed the door right in his face.

* * *

I was angry.

No, _infuriated_.

How could he say such a thing? Gray, out of all people, had to say something so…so…so _hurtful_. Well, if he really felt that way…then fine. But I wasn't going to mope around about it for long; I had a farm to run.

But it still..._hurt_.

But I would keep my mind clear of any Gray-related thoughts for now. I would just have to ignore him. If I ran into him, well, I'll figure out what I'll do when the time comes.

Last night I cried for I don't know how long. My tears were a mixture of sorrow, and anger. Mostly anger. So to keep me occupied from thinking of _him_, I decided to memorize the whole Mineral Town map last night. No more map-carrying for me.

I was on my way to the supermarket to get seeds. I needed to start making money. I walked up to the door of the supermarket and pulled on the handle. It didn't budge. I yanked the doorknob again with a grunt, but the door still did not move. I checked the sign next to the building.

_Supermarket_

_Open Hours: 9am – 5pm_

_Closed on Sundays and Tuesdays_

I frowned. It was already ten o'clock in the morning. Why weren't they open? And then I smacked myself on the forehead. The day I came here was…Sunday, I believe. And yesterday was Monday. So that meant today was…Tuesday.

Well, damn.

What was I suppose to do now? I really didn't feel like going back to the farm to…work just yet. Where else could I go? I ran through all the places I had already visited in my head, trying to figure out where I could waste my time at.

And then I remembered the library.

I turned right on the cobblestone path, feeling a little happier. I pushed the door to the library open, and the smell of old, weathered pages entered my nose. I closed the door, making a loud slamming noise.

Oops, didn't mean to do that.

"Hold on one second, please. I'll be right down!" The sweet voice was coming from up the stairs to my right.

"Uh…okay."

I cringed.

When was my voice going to turn back to normal?

I looked around the room, eyeing shelves upon shelves of books. And there was an upstairs too? Wow. For this town being so tiny, they sure had a large library.

I always loved reading; it was my favorite past-time. Books could take you to a whole different world. If you had a good enough imagination, you could use books to escape the harsh reality that was life. And that was what I needed. I really, _really_ did.

I walked up to a bookshelf towards the back of the room and scanned through the rows and rows of titles that were splayed out before me. Some of them I recognized, while others were new to me. I let my fingers graze a couple of book spines, feeling the texture of each one. It was a long time since I actually picked up a book and read it.

Being here brought back so many memories. One of them stood out the most. Maybe it was the fact that I got asked out the first time in my life, in a library. Hah.

_It had been a couple of weeks since high school had started. Saying that it was starting out good would be an understatement. It was starting out fantastic._

_Gray walked me to almost all of my classes regularly. And the classes we did have together; he would send me little notes that would say simple things such as 'Hi!' or 'How are you?'. So simple, but yet, it made me fill up with so much happiness. _

_I enjoyed the school library just as much. I always loved the silence that ensued when you walked into one. And the peaceful feeling you get when you know you are alone after being around tons of loud, obnoxious teenagers. You might be alone when you walk in, but once you crack open a book, the characters jump right out and keep you company for as long as you want._

_In fact, I was on my way to the very place right now. I hadn't seen Gray since lunch, but that was okay. We both had study hall this period, but on opposite ends of the school. So he couldn't accompany me to the library this time._

_I pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by the librarian. "Well hello there, Claire! So nice of you to drop by again!"_

_"Hello, Mrs. Baker. I came here to check out some more books."_

_"Already done with the ones you checked out three days ago?"_

_I nodded and gave a small 'mhm' sound._

_Mrs. Baker was a short and petite old woman. Her short, cropped white hair was always pulled back by a headband and her eyes were covered by small, round glasses. She was cute, in that old-grandma-ish way._

_I handed her my books that I was returning and she just gave me one of her smiles. "Soon you will have read all of the books in here, sweetheart."_

_I just gave her a tiny smile, before I walked off towards the way back of the library. Where the 'Young Adults' section was._

_Once I picked out a few good-looking books, I went over to a section of the library where there were nothing but tables and chairs. A place where you could sit down and read. _

_And that's when I saw him._

_Gray._

_Even though his back was too me, I could tell it was him from his hair. No one else I knew had that color or style hair. He was sitting at the farthest table from me._

_I stood there, frozen to the spot. When did Gray start going to the library? I inched forward, but came to a stop. What was I going to say to him when I went over there? 'Just go over there', I thought to myself, 'And say hello to him.'_

_I took a deep breath and walked all the way over to his table, without rethinking my actions. I sat down across from him, just as he looked up from a rather large-looking novel. He gave me a genuine smile that I seen him only give to me. I couldn't help but smile myself. _

_"Hey Claire. How are you?"_

_I was looking into his eyes again, so it was hard for me to speak to him. "I'm…uh…good. And you? I didn't take you for a reader."_

_He chuckled. "I love reading. It's one of my favorite hobbies."_

_"Why didn't you tell me this?" I asked. No, more like whined. "You knew I liked reading!"_

_Gray laughed again. "Sorry," He said nonchalantly. He was _so_ not sorry._

_"You're not sorry," I said, giggling._

_He leaned in closer to me, his hair sticking out here and there adorably. Wait…_adorably_? "So, Claire, I have been meaning to talk to you for quite some time now."_

_"Really? We just talked at lunch, silly."_

_"I know, I know. But I wanted to talk to you about something in particular, for a while now."_

_"About…?"_

_"Well," He blushed, "I…uh…um…"_

_I giggled again. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and cleared his throat. Why was he blushing? And why does he keep…_

_"Claire, will you go out with me?"_

_My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I snapped it shut and opened it again, surprised. Did Gray Walters just ask me out? Gray Walters?_

_But…why? As soon as everyone knew who he was, the girls were all over him. He could have had any girl he wanted. Someone a lot prettier than me, that is. But, I guess, I really wouldn't want to be dating someone who just liked me because I had money either._

_I looked at him, my eyes still wide. He stared at me, slightly frowning. He let his head droop and spoke softly. "Never mind, sorry for asking…"_

_"No!" I practically yelled and his head shot up. Hopefully Mrs. Baker didn't mind that… "No. Don't be sorry," I smiled sweetly, "Of course, Gray. I… I'd love to be your girlfriend."_

_"Really?" He asked, grinning._

_I nodded and placed my hand on his. "Really."_

I felt a slight tugging on my arm as I returned from my daze. "Hello? Are…Are you okay? I have been trying to get your attention for quite some time now."

"Huh? Oh! I…I'm sorry!" I turned to my right and saw a girl my age staring at me.

"No, it's okay. I actually ran right into you and you didn't even notice!" She fixed her glasses and said, "Well, my name is Mary and I work here at the library. You must be Claire, the new girl who bought the farm."

"Yes, I am." _How does _everyone _know me?_ "How did you know?"

Mary laughed. Her laugh was light, and had a soft tone to it. It was rather soothing. "My mother is the gossip queen of Mineral Town, its hard _not_ to know what's happening around here. And, it's a small village, so word travels quite fast."

_Nice to know I can be the subject of someone's conversation._

"Oh. Well, nice…to meet you, Mary."

Mary hugged the book she was carrying to her chest and looked around the room timidly. She looked like she was shy, and rather quiet. Her long, raven-black hair was tied into a loose braid that went down to her mid-back. Her blue dress with a pleated skirt ended at her knees and met knee-high white socks. Her feet were covered by small, brown loafers. Her black glasses covered her grey eyes. She was pretty. But if she were to get contacts, she would look even better.

"I'm so glad you came here. Not many people come to this library."

I cocked my head to the side. "Why not?! Books are amazing."

Mary smiled warmly and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I…I'm glad you think so. I suppose… people just don't get the importance of books."

"Hmph," I huffed, "I guess not."

It was silent for a couple of minutes before Mary spoke up again. "Well, are you here to check out a book, Claire?"

I tapped my index finger against my chin and thought for a moment. "Yeah," Her face brightened when I said this, "Do you have any books on farming?"

She smiled again and said, "I have plenty. They're upstairs. Would you like me to show you?"

"No," I shook my head, "That's fine. I think…I can find them. Thanks."

Mary nodded and headed off towards a small counter off to the side of the room. I turned right and walked up the stairs to the second floor of the library. There were even more bookcases up here. Seriously, why would anyone _not_ want to come here?

I went over to a random bookcase and searched for any appealing titles. I found a seemingly interesting book and cracked it open to take a look at its contents. My reading was interrupted by the door slamming shut downstairs.

"Oh, hello Gray. You're here early today. How are you?"

I froze. _Gray_ was here? And he's _early_? Well that just means he comes here all the time!

I groaned inwardly and shut the book I was carrying closed. It was bad enough with what he said to me yesterday and…now I have to share the library with him? _Duh, Claire. Gray loves books just as much as you do. _Dang! I should have known he would come here!

I took a deep breath and went over to the stairs. I walked down halfway, and saw Gray stroll over to Mary behind the counter and give her a hug. She turned bright red. My breath hitched and I almost dropped the book in my hands.

"I'm…okay. I've been better. And you, Mary?"

"Um…uh…I'm quite…all right."

He let his arms fall to his sides. "Well, I'm going to go find a book."

Mary nodded and gave him a smile. "Okay." She looked dazed.

Gray turned and went to the back bookshelves and started leafing through the books. I took this as my cue to leave. I walked down the stairs the rest of the way and stopped in front of the counter Mary was standing behind. She was still staring off into space when I got there.

I cleared my throat as quietly as I could to get her attention, and only hers.

"Oh! Claire, I'm…so sorry," I flinched when she said my name, "I didn't even know you were standing there. Did you get a book already?"

I saw Gray tense up and I cringed. "Yup," I said, handing her the book.

She wrote something down and gave it back to me. "Well, I hope you enjoy it! The book is due two weeks from now, good luck on your farm. Come back soon, Claire."

She handed the farming book back to me and I gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, I'll do that. Bye!" I looked back to where Gray was standing and he was staring right at me, with an unknown expression splayed across his face. "Bye, Gray," I said, trying to get as much venom in my tone as possible. Mary gave me a funny look before I walked out of the library and shut the door behind me.

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter finished. And I have sooo many ideas for the next chapter! Chapter Three should be out in about a week or so. Review, okay? I always love to hear what you readers think! How I can improve and all that jazz. :3 ****Oh, and expect more flashbacks too! There aren't many left, though.**

**And if Claire sounds childish at some points, I'm sorry. I am a fifteen year-old and it is quite hard writing from a twenty-one year-old's perspective.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, first off... WHOA! I updated! Can you hear the 'hallelujuahs' in the background? Cause I sure can! XD Anyway- I have to say, I'm in love with this chapter, I really am. If I could marry it, I probably would. Haha. I keep looking back at this chapter and I say to myself, "Did I really write this? OMG!"**

**Wow, the flashback in here is a whole...I don't know, 14 pages long? WOW. And the whole chapter is...17 pages long with a whopping 6,396 word count. Yes, that is exact. XD I'm all bubbly, I really can't wait for you readers to read it, I think this has to be my best work yet. And my description is getting a little better. (I hope.) **

**Ummm...review replies! :3**

**Jean Cooper:**XD Awww, thanks Jeanie-chan! You are such an awesome person. Thanks for helping me through all those horrible writer's blocks. Those literally suck. Hope you like this chapter!

**Kim:**Sign in, you lazy bum! Haha. I joke, I joke, I kid, I kid. Hope you like it, Kim!

**DoubleKK:** When I read your review, I literally got all giddy! I'm so...ah! I can't even describe it! Thank you oh-so-much! I didn't think my writing was THAT good. Again, thank you for the wonderful comment! You have made my day. Perhaps my whole week. :3

**Prologue:** Gray isn't scoring any points with you? I guess we're going to have to change that! Let's beat him on the head with a stick! :3

**b4k4 ch4n:**Did you happen to get that rather large review reply I sent you? If not, that's okay. But thank you so much for the helpful tips you gave me! Descriptions are my major weakpoint, and I'm working on them the best I can.

**chibi-guardian:** Thanks! I hope you like this chapter just as much, or even more!

**Kairi Tsubasa:** Well, it's been four years since Gray has moved to Mineral Town. That's four years to get to know Mary more. In that time-frame, he gets more comfortable around her, and he begins having feelings for her. I hope that answers your question. I'm glad you liked it!

**final frost bite fantasy:** Thank you! Here's the next chapter!

**tengulover:** I know it's sad. But it will get better, I promise! I hope you like it, though.

**Harvestmoongal214:** Thank you! It's sad, I'll admit. But it will get happy soon!

**CherryBlossoms1994:** Ah, I can't tell you that much, but here is the next update!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. **

* * *

_I knew this whole thing I had gotten myself into was my fault and my fault alone. And I thought we could pick up where we left off after being separated for four years. Hah. Funny how things like this smack you in the face and mock you when you least expect them too._

_What was I thinking? He had asked me to go with him. He had asked me to visit. I did nothing of the sort. I didn't even write him. I could have called. I could have done plenty of things to change this black hole I have found myself falling into._

_But you can't change the past. You can't fix something that has already happened._

_And that's why I decided that I would try to move on, even if it hurt to do it. I have to face the fact that Gray moved on, and has found love with a shy, pretty librarian who I called a friend. Gray and my relationship ending was my fault, I knew this. But I still wanted him. I still needed him, still…loved him._

_But I guess things don't always work out the way you plan them to._

* * *

I wiped the sweat from my brow and breathed a sigh of relief. You might think watering crops was easy, but let me tell you something, it isn't. I looked out at my semi-clear field and felt a sense of pride well up inside of me. It has been a few weeks since I moved to Mineral Town, and during this time-frame I had cleared a plot of land on my (gigantic) field to plant potatoes and cucumbers. Which, by the way, were doing quite fine for me being just a novice farmer.

Meeting the rest of the townspeople didn't take too long either, and I was already becoming good friends with Ann and Mary, who were both best-friends themselves. It was surprising to me that I was making friends so quickly, because I was never good at being sociable with girls when I was younger. I would go to the library to visit Mary often, but left before Gray would show up. Even though Mary didn't ask me about it, I knew she thought something was up; she was smart, and caught on quickly. I was just waiting for the moment when she asked me why I was avoiding him. But despite whatever was going on with Mary and Gray, I still liked the librarian. She was sweet, nice, and we both shared common interests. Books being one of them.

The only thing that bugged me about her was that she would constantly talk about _him_. If I said I liked a particular book, she would add that _he_ liked that book as well. Was she trying to throw this in my face? _No, she isn't. Mary doesn't even know about us._ And that's the only time he was on my mind. I was taking this "moving on" thing rather well, to my surprise. I wonder how long it would last.

And then there was Ann. She could be a little loud and forceful at times, but she was such a caring individual. She was the one always forcing Mary and me to go to the Inn and spend the night shift with her, since it was hardly busy. Though I didn't need much forcing, I was always at 

the inn. With me having no kitchen, it was practically a given that I would eat all my meals there. But that didn't really bother me, I enjoyed being in the red head's company, her cheery mood always rubbed off on me.

Even though I knew almost everything about Mary and Ann in the few weeks I have known them, I haven't said a word to them about my past. And I felt guilty. I really, really did. For them to be so open with me, the new girl, was very…odd. Ann had already told me about her mother, while Mary told me the time where she got lost in the forest near Mother's Hill. I told them very little about my past, just the parts about my schooling and such, and they didn't press any further; which made me fill up with even more guilt.

I guess I would have to tell them sooner or later.

I pick later.

I sighed as a gust of wind played with my hair and tickled the nape of my neck. Today was a very windy, chilly spring day. I picked up my watering can and walked back into my tiny shack of a house. I went over to a chest against the wall and opened it, tossing the watering can amongst the rest of the tools. Thank goodness I found these tools in here last week, or I would have been literally screwed.

On my way out, I grabbed a light blue cotton hooded jacket and picked up my rucksack off the table. Once I was outside again, I headed off towards the library since I had plenty of time before Gray showed his face there.

I hugged my jacket tighter to my body as a strong gust of wind blew, almost knocking me over in the process. I hated wind. I hated it with such a strong passion. It made you cold, it knotted your hair, and it could get so strong that it could knock you over in one blow.

I stared down at the red and brown bricks that made up the paved streets, or more like pathways, and watched my feet carry me down the already-familiar path. Another hefty blast of air blew past and I shifted my gaze to place my hood over my head, just as something blue hit me square in the face.

"Ugh," I moaned. "What the hell was that?"

I rubbed my head as I looked down at the ground, eyeing a blue hat. "Stupid hat," I mumbled as I bent down and picked it up. It was dark blue with a red bill, with large black capital letters spelling out UMA on a gold backdrop.

Wait- I knew this hat, and I knew it well.

_"Hey, Claire!" Gray said happily as he jogged his way over to me, his ocean blue eyes never leaving mine. "How are you?" He asked, pulling me into a warm embrace._

_Ever since we started dating two months ago, Gray and I have been inseparable. Girls gave me dirty looks, while others smiled and tried making small talk with me. I guessed that they were trying to worm their way around me to get to Gray. But I wasn't about to let that happen._

_I let my arms hang limply at my sides for a few moments before I finally wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him back. This…sign of affection…was new to me, and I wasn't quite used to it yet. Though Gray didn't really mind doing things like that in public, it still bothered me…a little. I was getting used to it, though, and it was actually starting to feel…nice._

_"I'm okay," I sighed, "I've just been thinking lately."_

_Some emotion flashed across his face. Alarm, maybe? "About…?" He asked hesitantly, tensing up._

_I smacked his arm playfully and giggled. "Nothing like that, silly," I said. I felt his muscles relax after I said this. "I've been thinking…I've never ridden a horse before, and I really want to."_

_Random, yes, but ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to ride a horse. Sure- my mom and dad let me ride ponies at local fairs, but all you did was go around in a tiny pole in which the pony was tied to. What was up with that? I actually wanted to learn to ride a horse, and actually go horse-back riding on a trail. I always wondered what it would feel like, riding on a running horse, feeling the wind through my hair. I thought it would be so wonderful to be free like that. This was just on my mind lately, and I couldn't get rid of it._

"_Done."_

_Huh?_

"_What?" I asked dumbly._

"_Done. You said you wanted to ride a horse, I'll make sure you do," He stated, smiling._

_I unwrapped myself from his arms and stared up at him, a questioning look on my face. He sighed and rolled his eyes a little. "Claire, I'll have my dad take care of it, relax. And I've been meaning to talk to you about that…"_

_I raised an eyebrow. "About what?"_

"_My parents, they want to meet you. I told them all about you and they are really looking forward to meeting you. My mom especially."_

_My eyes went wide. The Walters…wanted to meet me? I wanted to faint – no- I _was goingto_ faint. My boyfriend gave me a weird look as he gripped my shoulders. I was glad for the extra support. "Claire…are…you okay? It's not a big deal."_

_Understatement._

_This was a _huge_ deal._

"_Excuse me? Not a 'big deal'? How can you say that? This is epic! Your family, or rather your father, is the owner of The Walters Exchange. And they want to meet me!"_

"_Well, I _am_ your boyfriend. And besides, I already met your parents, isn't it normal for you to meet mine as well? Come one Claire, I told them all about you and my mom is just dying for me to introduce you to her already."_

_This was true; Gray had already met my parents ages ago. And of course, they absolutely love him. He practically spent every day at my house._

"_I guess so…but what will I wear?" I asked with a laugh, recollecting myself._

_Gray chuckled. "Don't worry so much, I know she'll love you."_

_He said nothing about his father._

_I gave him a small smile, one I gave only for him and said, "I hope so, I'm just worried that I won't impress them, that's all."_

_He shook his head. "I'm sure you'll do just that. C'mon, Claire, we'll be late for homeroom. You know how Miss Greenwood hates when we're late."_

_I nodded. "Yeah."_

_He was right, I did freak out over little things too much._

* * *

_I yawned and stretched my arms. I turned over in my bed and glanced at my alarm clock, which read 7 o'clock p.m. I groaned and slowly pulled the covers up to my chin. I did _not_ want to leave the warmth that was under my comfy comforter._

_But, my cell phone was ringing._

"_Ugh." I stumbled out of bed and the cool air sent chills down my spine, causing me to get goose bumps. I tripped my way forward in the dark, trying to get to my desk on the other side of my bedroom where the light from my cell phone was coming from._

_I rubbed my arms as I approached my desk and grabbed the annoying, ringing cellular device. Curse this thing. It woke me up._

_I flipped it open as I made my way back to my bed and jumped back under the covers. "Hello?" I asked drowsily._

"_Claire? Did I wake you?" The voice on the other line asked softly._

"_Uh…yeah," I rubbed my head, "But that's okay, Gray."_

"_Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't mean too. I didn't think you would be sleeping this early."_

_I smiled. Gray was so caring. "It's fine. I was just really tired, that's all. So…what's up?"_

"_Well, you know how you told me that you wanted to go horse-back riding?" He asked excitedly. I could practically hear the smile in his voice._

"_Yeah," I yawned. _

"_Guess whose going horse-back riding?"_

_I shot up like a rocket. "No way!" I shouted, but quickly covered my mouth as to not wake my parents. "Seriously?"_

"_Seriously," Gray repeated. "This Saturday. You can sorta call it a…date."_

_I blushed. "This is going to be great! Thank you so much Gray!"_

"_I told you that I would make it happen, didn't I? Well, I'll let you get back to sleep, okay Claire? We'll talk about it more tomorrow at school. I'll see you later, good night."_

"_Night, Gray."_

_I hung up and squealed as quietly as I could. Horse-back riding, with Gray. Who could have asked for a better way to spend their day? I fell back onto my pillow, exasperated. Now how was I supposed to go back to bed?_

* * *

_I was so excited. I looked out the car window in awe at the ranch we were closing in on. It probably looked as though I was a ten year-old rather than a fifteen year-old. Oh well, this was going to be fun._

_I felt something warm engulf my left hand and I looked down, to see Gray's hand entwined with mine. I looked up and saw him smiling at me, and I couldn't help but smile myself as well._

"_Excited, huh?"_

_I nodded and grinned. "Very."_

"_We're going to have fun."_

"_Yes! Thank you again, Gray. This means the world to me," I said, giving his hand a tight squeeze._

_The black Mercedes-Benz came to a stop, and Charles looked through the rear-view mirror at my boyfriend. "Gray, we have arrived. Is there a specific time that you would like me to pick up you and your lady-friend?"_

_I had to suppress a giggle when he said 'lady-friend'._

"_Thanks, Charlie. I'll give you a call when we are done."_

"_Very well, then. Have a nice time," Charles said, with that accent of his._

_Charles was the Walters family's personal driver. Until Gray was old enough to drive, he was here to do the driving for him. Gray had briefly informed me that he was from Britain, and that he was the only one that was allowed to call him 'Charlie'. Charles seemed very…sophisticated. He would probably be able to uphold a very intelligent conversation with someone. _

"_Claire."_

"_Hmmmm…?" I looked to my right, to see Gray standing before me, with my door already opened. "Oh! I'm sorry," I said, climbing out from the expensive car, and leaving the soft leather interior behind._

_I watched the sleek black car drive away. I waved goodbye to Charles, whether he saw it or not didn't really faze me. I was more or less just saying goodbye to the Mercedes._

"_Let's go," Gray grabbed my hand, "We have to go check in."_

* * *

_After we went through the necessary-hour-long procedure of learning how to ride a horse and other safety precautions, we were ready to _actually_ go hose-back riding._

_Finally._

"_Are you ready?" Gray asked me, squeezing my hand, anxious._

"_Yes, of course! But why are you so excited? You've done this before, correct?"_

"_Yeah, I have. But seeing you so excited over something like this just makes me excited too."_

_My face heated. Why was I blushing? Wasn't I used to all of his little comments like this one?_

_Apparently not._

_A few moments later, two horses were brought out to us from the stables. Kaity, our guide, was the one to bring them out._

_Kaity was…quite the talkative person. I learned a lot about her in the first ten minutes of meeting her. Like how all of her friends call her 'Kitty' or how she just "loooves" shopping. I didn't really mind it, I liked shopping too. But I felt really bad for Gray. He was going to have to "listen to us girls talk "girl stuff" the whole time"; exact word for word to what he said to me. _

"_Okay!" Kaity exclaimed cheerfully, still holding onto the reins to the two horses. "Are you two lovebirds ready to get this show on the road?"_

_Gray and I both blushed at the term 'lovebird'. I guess it _was_ pretty obvious, we _were_ holding hands._

_Kaity smiled, her lips curving upwards, almost hitting her gigantic brown Coco Chanelle glasses. She definitely had style. Her pink cashmere turtleneck was tight fitting while her khaki pants were more on the puffy side. Dark brown boots covered up most of her legs and her long dark blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, leaving no stray hair unscathed. I felt underdressed in my plain dark blue t-shirt and jean capris._

"_Yeah, we are," Gray answered. He looked at me while he said this and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back and blush again. _

"_Awww! Isn't that cute? I remember my first love. Good times! But, anyway! I'm straying off topic. Gray – why don't you help Claire get on her horse while I go get my own?"_

_"Sure thing!" He led me over to one of the two horses that Kaity left in our care. _

_He directed me to a pure white horse with brown spots speckled here and there over its body. It was definitely female. I lifted my left foot into the metal stirrup and Gray grabbed my waist, which tickled. I giggled and I heard him laugh._

"_Did that tickle Claire?" He asked playfully._

_I stopped giggling and dropped back down to the ground; my back still facing him. "Yeah…It did."_

"_Well, what about this?" He brushed his fingers against my sides. "Does that tickle?"_

_I giggled again and turned to face him. "Stop Gray! I'm _really_ ticklish!"_

_"Oh really," He raised an eyebrow, "Let's find out if you _really_ are."_

_That's when he full-fledged tickled me, pinning me to the ground, tickling my sides and my stomach. "Gray," I managed to say in between giggles, "Stop!"_

_"No, I think I'm going to continue tickling you," He laughed out._

_And, of course, the horses did nothing but stand there looking lost._

_The least they could have done was help me. Or made Gray stop tickling me by kicking him or something._

_Suddenly, the tickling stopped, surprising me. I cracked open and eye, seeing Gray staring at me intently, his ever gorgeous eyes searching my own. My breath hitched a bit, and my heart started beating faster than normal. It was so quiet that I thought Gray would be able to hear my heart thump. We stayed there like that, just staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours._

_"Well, look what we have here!"_

_Gray bolted off of me at the sound of Kaity's voice. I blushed and faked a cough. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Umm…uh…yeah…"_

_The older woman paid no mind to our embarrassment. "I actually got here a couple of minutes ago, but you two were just having a moment and I just didn't want to intrude. It looked like you two were having eye-sex or something! Oh! Oh! Don't forget to use protection! Wear glasses!"_

_We both looked at each other, our mouths fully open, shocked, as Kaity laughed at her own joke. I had to admit, that was pretty clever, but that didn't stop the red to appear upon my cheeks. _

_But it wasn't like we were having "eye-sex" or "having a moment", was it?_

_After Kaity stopped her laughing fit, she straightened out the front of her turtleneck and stood up straight. "Anyways! Let's get this horse-back riding deal a go, shall we?"_

_Gray helped me up off the ground, flicked a stray strand of my blonde hair out of my face, and gave me a smile. My heart skipped a beat and I became flustered. Why was he always doing that to me?_

_Our upbeat guide motioned us over to the three horses she was standing next to and handed Gray the reins to the brown-spotted white horse he was helping me mount earlier. "This one's name is Cocoa, and Claire will be riding her. Gray, can you help her mount this one? And try not to get distracted again, okay?" She asked, giggling at the last part._

_Once I was on my horse, Kaity handed my boyfriend a pure black horse named Midnight. I started fidgeting on the leather saddle I was sitting on, trying not to fall off. I heard Gray snicker behind me and a flashed him a dirty look. "What?"_

"_Oh…nothing."_

_I scoffed. "I bet it isn't just "nothing""._

_He shrugged his shoulders. "It's going to be fun watching you try to ride that horse."_

"_Oh, so you think you can do better?"_

"_I know so."_

_I laughed. "We'll see."_

_He smirked. "Oh, we will."_

* * *

_I let the small breeze tousle my hair as I observed the green scenery passing by as the three of us rode on the dirt trail. Gray was riding next to me, while Kaity was riding up ahead, giving us some space. I closed my eyes peacefully as another warm breeze whispered against my face. _

"_Hey," Gray said softly. "Let's play a game, hmmm?"_

_I cracked open an eye and looked at him. "A game? What game were you thinking of?"_

_He gave me a small smile. "The Ten Questions game."_

_I laughed quietly. "Ah, I know that one. Sure. Let's give it a go."_

"_Yes! I was getting a little worried, I thought you were bored."_

"_Nah, I'm fine. I'm just enjoying this a lot. You don't really see trees in the city, do you?" I laughed._

_He shook his head 'no'. "Okay, I'll go first."_

_As I waited for him to ask me a question, I started petting Cocoa's white mane and looking out at all of the greenery surrounding us. The sun was shining beautifully in the cloudless blue sky. Birds chirped their melodic tune in the trees, making the peaceful environment we were already riding in even more peaceful. We rode passed dozens of wild flowers, ranging from many vibrant colors. Thistle loomed out of the spaces between flowers, weeping willows casted a cool place for those shade-loving plants to home themselves, and the crickets chirped endlessly in the trees above us._

_Cocoa neighed and bobbed her head to the side, licking my left tennis shoe. I giggled and patted her head as she continued walking forward at a slow and steady pace. I was already used to the clip-clopping noise of the horse's horse-shoes against the rough dirt._

"_Aha! I got one!"_

_My breath caught in my throat and I brought my hand to my chest, frightened. "Gray! You scared me!"_

_He frowned at himself and sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry Claire. I didn't mean too. But I figured out the first question I'm going to ask you!"_

_He sounded so excited; I just couldn't help but be excited with him. "Oh really?! Ask me!" I said, smiling._

"_Okay! Do you…sleep with a teddy bear?"_

_I heard Kaity snort and then start laughing, and I started laughing myself. What kind of silly question was that? Well, I guess it _was_ a game. "Gray, you tell me. You've been in my room plenty of times. Did you see a teddy bear on my bed at all?"_

_His head sagged, and I laughed again. "No…Well dang! Can I have another question?"_

_I bobbed my head and shrugged my shoulders. "Go ahead Gray."_

_He smiled and I lost him to his train of thought._

_I went back to enjoying the sights around me, trying to take it in all at once. I didn't know when I was ever going to do this again, so I wanted to remember it all. You don't really see wild flowers or birds in the city. It's more like noisy cars and litter on the roads. It would be really nice to live in the country, somewhere like this place._

"_Oh, I got a good one this time!"_

_I turned my head to the right and gazed at him, not frightened at his outburst this time. "Let me have it."_

"_Do you have any scars, Claire?"_

"_Hmmm…Why yes, yes I do!"_

"_Really? Where?"_

_"Ummm…I have a microscopic scar right under my right eyebrow. My mom snipped my skin there with a pair of scissors when she was cutting my bangs one day when I was younger. _

_Knowing me, I was rather engrossed with the television and kept fidgeting. And when I moved a little to get a better look at the TV…snip! There went some of my skin!"_

_Gray cringed. "Ouch."_

_I shrugged. "I'm a big girl. Anyway, I get two questions now."_

_He perked up and turned his attention to me. I let go of the reins with my right hand, keeping my left hand tight around the ropes, and tapped my chin, thinking. I smirked and asked, "Do you shower daily?" In front of us, Kaity snickered and I heard her laugh out a 'wow'._

_"Umm…Are…you serious Claire?"_

_"Uh, _yeah_. I gotta know if I'm going out with a dirty boy." I giggled._

_"Claire, you've been going out with me for what, two months? Have I smelled bad in that time frame at all?" He gave me a weird look._

_I smirked and shrugged my shoulders again. "That's for me to know, and for you to _never_ find out."_

_He looked shocked. "Wha-"_

_"You two obviously have no clue as how to play this game," Kaity said, snorting a laugh. She didn't even turn around to look at us. "Where are all of the good questions that you really have to think about before answering? Maybe Claire should think of another."_

_I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Okay, well, hmmm…let me think."_

_Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gray sulking, or pouting, or whatever it was he was doing. "I do not smell…," He mumbled._

_I put on a fake sad face and said in a sweet voice, "Of course you don't Gray. I was just joking."_

_"Hmph," He grunted. "Fine, do you have another question?"_

_"As a matter of fact, I do," I smiled. "How do you get your hair _so_ glossy?"_

_Kaity laughed loudly again. "Okay, well, I have to admit, that is a step up."_

_Shut up, Kaity,_ _I thought to myself._

_"Special shampoo," Gray answered._

_"Special shampoo? You aren't going to tell me the name?" I pouted._

_"Nah, it's my little secret. I can't be telling everyone the brand of shampoo I use," He joked._

_"Hmph," I huffed, wanting to cross my arms and stomp my foot. "I want my hair to be shiny too!"_

_"Why? I like your hair right now. It's pretty. And it smells like raspberries. I like that."_

_My cheeks reddened and I couldn't help but stammer. "Uh…um…I…uh…thank…you."_

_He smiled at me, and I couldn't help but melt a little inside. But Kaity decided to butt in again. "Awww! How cute! You're just chock full of compliments, aren't chya Gray? You definitely know how to work your charm." _

_I was completely baffled after that, and I had no clue as to what to say. So we rode in silence for a while. But I certainly knew one thing for sure, though. I was never going to use anything but my raspberry-scented shampoo from now on._

* * *

_It was suddenly getting darker, which surprised me. "Looks like a storm is coming in, we'll have to hurry back you two."_

_When did those storm clouds appear? Wasn't it just cloudless a while ago? And I didn't think it was suppose to storm today, anyway._

_"We're almost back to the ranch, now. Let's get our horses in a trot so we don't get soak and wet when it downpours."_

_I gently hit my ankles against Cocoa's sides and she immediately went faster, almost catching up with Kaity and her pure brown horse. When I turned my head to the right, I expected to see Gray beside me, but he wasn't it. I furrowed my brow and looked behind me, seeing Gray struggling with his horse. Kaity looked back as well, and laughed at the sight._

_He kept hitting his ankles against his horse's sides, but the horse just did not want to go any faster than the pace it was going at already. I chuckled as he let out a sigh of anger, his face twisting up into a scowl. By now, Kaity and I were stopped in the middle of the dirt trail, watching Gray and the horse battle for dominance._

_It was pretty hilarious._

_"Wow, Gray," Our guide smirked. "I thought you were the one with more experience with riding horses? And Claire here is showing you up!" We both giggled._

_I about fell off my horse laughing when Midnight, Gray's horse, turned its head and nibbled on Gray's foot. "Gah!" He yelled. "Will someone help me?" He asked, just as Midnight stomped his foot into the dirt, causing Gray to wobble on top of the saddle._

_Kaity sighed and said, "Try getting him to move again. He is just being stubborn for some reason."_

_I could only watch as the following events unfolded in front of me, wide-eyed._

_My boyfriend kicked his horse's sides once more, and Midnight neighed loudly before standing on his hind legs, causing Gray to lose his balance and fall off. I gasped as he rolled to the ground, while Kaity cursed under her breath when Midnight trotted towards us, stopping right beside me._

_"Gray!" I yelled, trying with great effort to dismount the animal I was sitting on. "Gray! Are you okay?"_

_He groaned as he got on his hands and knees, covered in dirt and foliage. I couldn't help but laugh at his appearance. Kaity was already off of her horse, and she was already by my side, aiding me down from mine._

_Once we were done, Gray was already standing up, wiping himself off, and mumbling to himself. "Stupid horse…It should have done…"_

_"Gray!" I exclaimed, rushing to his side. "Did you get hurt?"_

_"No, I don't think so."_

_"Maybe just his ego," Kaity added._

_"Thanks," He remarked sarcastically. "Why don't you shut up, Kaity?"_

_He took the words right out of my mouth._

_"Psssht," Kaity said, rolling her eyes. She turned her attention to the three horses that were unoccupied at the moment._

_I moved closer to my disoriented boyfriend and placed a hand on his forearm gently. "Gray?" I asked, trying not to laugh at the events that had just taken place minutes ago. "Are…you…" That's as far as I got before I cracked up with giggles._

_He eyed me with a frown. "What's so funny?" He asked, probably dreading the answer._

_"You…should…have seen your…face!" I managed to say. "It was…hilarious!"_

_"Well, I'm glad you think my misfortune is so funny," He stated bitterly, taking my hand off of his arm._

_I stopped laughing and got somber. "Gray, I was kidding, can't you take a joke?"_

_He smirked at me and patted my hand. "Can't you?"_

_I huffed an annoyed sigh and crossed my hands across my chest, tearing my eyes away from his. "At least I didn't fall off my horse," I said, grinning._

_Gray snorted and brushed passed me, towards Kaity. I was left to bask in my own glorious win._

* * *

_We were back in the black Mercedes with Charles, driving home. The pitter-patter of rain could be heard against the roof of the car. I looked out the window, seeing nothing but rain drops on the cool glass. Gray was on the other side, sulking in an 'Oh, the woes of Gray' sort of way. I silently giggled and turned my attention towards him._

_"Hey…Gray…," I whispered. "How are you doing?"_

_He looked at me and I smiled, but he just stared at me. "Are you ever going to forget that this ever happened?"_

_"Hah," I shook my head. "Probably not."_

_Gray groaned, and held his head in his hands. "This sucks."_

_I spent the rest of the ride home silently plotting a way to never let him live this down._

* * *

_I came to school in a cheery mood, something I saw myself doing more often. But this day was special. Today was the day I was going to give Gray a gift that would fit him perfectly. Literally._

_I met him at my locker, like I normally did. He watched me slowly make my way over to him, and I saw him flicker his gaze to the blue box I was holding under my arm. I gave him a smile and stretched the box towards him when I reached my locker._

_"For me?" He questioned._

_I nodded, trying not to laugh. This was going to be great._

_The box was torn apart in less than five seconds, and Gray was already cradling the blue cap in his hands. "This is cool, Claire, but what does UMA mean?"_

_"Oh, I think it's a Japanese word, but I don't know what it stands for. But when I saw it, I just thought of you." _

_He smiled at me and quickly said, "Well thanks Claire, I really like it."_

_I wasn't about to tell him that, in fact, I knew what UMA meant in Japanese._

* * *

_I was sitting in English, enjoying the study hall my teacher had given us, when Gray passed me a note. I eyed the way it was perfectly folded into a square, and how it said my name in his almost-better-than-mine handwriting. Actually, my handwriting beat his ten-fold. I unfolded it and read its contents._

'Hey Claire-

You know that hat you gave to me a couple of days ago?'

_Of course I knew that hat. I replied:_

'Gray-

I'm the one who bought you that hat and you constantly wear it, of course I know it. Why?'

_I quickly passed it back to Gray, who was sitting right next to me. I glanced at our English teacher to make sure he didn't notice us note-writing. A couple of seconds later, Gray palmed me the piece of paper._

'Well, I looked up the meaning of UMA. And let me tell you something, I really don't think it's funny.'

'Oh really? What does it mean? Please, Gray, tell me.'

'Horse.'

_It took my whole will power not to laugh out loud. Especially after seeing the unhappy face he drew next to the message. He finally got smart enough to look up the meaning of the word._

'Aw, you don't find it a tad bit humorous?'

_I heard him chuckle softly when he read my response. I got the note back in a matter of seconds._

'Okay, I guess it's funny. So I guess it's our little inside joke then?'

'Sure. But, are you still going to wear it?'

'Of course! I'm never going to take it off! You got it for me, why wouldn't I wear it?'

_And that's when I blushed. And just when our little note passing got the teacher's attention…_

I laughed a small laugh at the memory, which was still so vivid in my mind. Gray still wore this thing? It was over eight years old. And why didn't I pay more attention to it when I first saw him? I cradled the dark blue material in my hands, staring at it for a while. Finally, I let out a long sigh and held the hat against my chest as I walked onwards to the library, the wind still whipping around me.

* * *

I opened the door to the library rather forcefully due to the wind, and Mary looked up immediately. She gave me a smile once she knew it was me. "Oh, Claire, it's just you. That noise gave me quite the start."

"Sorry. The da-," I stopped, correcting myself before I said the whole swear word. Mary didn't approve upon swearing. "The wind is getting worse." I walked over to her desk and started drumming my fingers against the dark wood.

"I know! It's quite annoying. Anyway, how are you Claire? And what are you doing with Gray's hat?"

I cocked my head to the side, not knowing what she was talking about. "What hat?" I asked. I looked down, seeing said hat in my hands. "Oh."

"Yes. Why do you have it?" She questioned, setting down her pen she was just holding. "He is going to be so happy when he hears that someone found it!"

"Oh, I see. I found it blowing around outside. Did he lose it somehow?"

"Why, yes. Yes he did. Stu, you know him, right? Elli's little brother? Well, he stole it from Gray the other day. It's funny, Gray got so upset when he heard Stu lost it. I wonder why? He's never told me where he got it. He just gets so defensive when I ask him."

Defensive? Why? It was just some stupid hat that I had bought for him. It was just some stupid inside joke that only him and I shared. It was just some…Oh, damn. I'm crying.

Mary suddenly looked ready to shrink into a small hole. "Claire! Are you okay? Was it something I said? It is me?"

I wiped the few tears from my face and shook my head rather vigorously. "No, no. It doesn't have anything to do with you." I gave her a weak smile. "It's just…I know how it feels to lose something dear to you," I lied. Well, sort of.

Damn. Why did I start crying? I thought I was taking this well. Well, damn. And I guess damn is my favorite word today, too. I needed to adopt Mary's 'No swearing' rule. But I don't think that would be happening anytime soon.

"Oh. I'm sorry," She said, patting my hands that were holding Gray's hat. Do you want me to give it to him? Since you leave before he gets here and all."

I opened my mouth to answer, but slowly closed it. "You know what? I think I'm going to stay here and give it to him myself."

Whoa. Was I really going to through with this?

I guess so.

She looked a little shocked. "Uh…okay." She looked up at me through thick-wired glasses. I had to remind myself to tell her to get contacts; she would look so pretty without those old things she had to wear. "Are you ever going to tell me why you have been avoiding Gray? Did he say or do something that upset you? You never did tell me…"

"…You'll find out soon enough."

And I was sure of that.

I had a bone to pick with Gray, whether he liked it or not. And Mary was going to be there to hear everything.

* * *

**Did you like it? I sure hope so! Just click that purple button below this message and leave me a review, telling me what you think! I always love to hear what you readers think! And I'm flabbergasted at the amount of reviews I have recieved so far, and there are only two chapters, well three now. Reviews are the fuel for my inspiration. ;D**

**I've got some rather unhappy news. I'm starting my stupid research paper for English, so I won't have as much time to write. But, I promise to write as much as I can when I have the time. So updates will be a little...spaced out from now on...maybe. I might need at least two weeks to write the next chapter, depends on how long it is. We'll see.**

**And...Thanks to _Jeanie-chan _and_Pro-chan_ for their help! You girls rock my socks. _Literally._**

**Well...Claire is getting a little less...angsty. So that's a good sign, right? XD What will happen when Gray arrives at the library? Only I know! And I think _Jeannie-chan_ knows as well. Teehee.**

**Oh! And I'll be changing my name soon. I was thinking of bluecupcakes or something like that. I mean, my favorite color is blue; and I like cupcakes. Why not combine them, I asked myself. That's probably what I'll do. I think it's cute. What do you readers think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! It didn't take me that _long_ to update, did it? Nah, I don't think so. I mean, 22 pages does take a while to write! Yeah, you read that right. 22 pages, 7,934 words of fluff, non-fluff, and all that jazz. I'm actually really happy about this chapter, like I was with the last one. And that's surprising.**

**I don't know what I would do without the help of Jean Cooper and Prologue, those girls are the best! :D Especially how they put up with my teenager-ish ways. Special thanks to you two! :3**

**Like, time to reply to my awesome reviewers! Seriously, you all rule hardcore to the max.**

**RaiKazurashi:** Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Prologue:** Haha, you might want to put both Claire and I on your list after reading this chapter. And maybe Gray, depending on how you look at it. But, now I told you what will happen, you are in "the know" now!

**Jean Cooper:** Teehee, I have some glasses for Claire too, cheetah print ones to be exact! And cupcakes do sound good! And you are right, you do know! But, shhhh! Keep it on the DL. XD

**DoubleKK:** Yup, they are still fourteen. It's been around two months since they were dating. Again, when I read your review, I got all happy! Your compliment is much appreciated!

**Harvest Moon Reviewer:** Thanks for your review! I have many ideas for the ending, and I'm trying to wait for the perfect one to come forth!

**b4k4 ch4n:** Thank you very much! This chapter is even longer! And, yes, Gray did love her very much. Bwahahaha, it really isn't a secret if Gray and Mary are really seeing each other, because, well, you find out in this chapter! Oh, the drama and the love triangles. There will be much of both in this story.

**final frost bite fantasy:** Yes, I just love cliff hangers! You'll have to read and find out what happens!

**lumanova03:** Thanks for the review! Yes, the dreaded of all assignments, the research paper I must write. I guess it's not all that bad, though. blue-chan? I like the ring of that. :D

**Flying Gummybears:** First off, I love the name! Green gummybears are mah fav! ;D Secondly, thank you so much for the reviews! Oh, I must read your story soon! Gah, I hate not having time to do anything! I will read it soon, I promise! I just loooove a good Graire fic. Sisters unite! P I'd probably bitch-slap Gray as well, but, that would mean I would have to do the same to me as well since I wrote it. Hah! I agree, cupcakes really are awesome! Thanks! Wow...this is long! But, I just love replying to my reviewers! Okay, I hope you enjoy this rather long chapter that I have whipped up!

**Flaming Black Skull:** Thanks for the review and fave! I really appreciate it! I hope you like this chapter!

**Suupaa Pandaroo:** I'm glad that you think my fic is a good Graire! I'm really touched, thank you! Claire IS lucky. Gray...is just...OoooKAY! Hehe, I love humour! You think I'm funny? Thanks! Because, well, most of the time I think I'm funny, and other people don't... Hah. Eye-sex...wow...I wrote that, didn't I?

**chibi-guardian/smilemaker:** Cute name! P Gray falling off of a horse is quite the scene to witness...

**Harvest Moon Lover:** Woo! I updated, do I get a cupake?

**CherryBlossoms1994:** Hmmm...you'll have to read to find out! Thanks for the review!

**Whew! That took ages! I'm really happy with all of the reviews I'm getting. Thank you all so much! And thanks for the compliment on my name change. It was AdaLeon, the names of my two favorite characters in Resident Evil, and my favorite cannon couple to boot.** **But, BlueCupcakes is just cuter! And my research paper is getting..along, I suppose. I'm still on the notecard part. Bleh. But, thank you all for wishing me luck on it! It means so much to me.**

**And I'm giving you a rather long chapter for a reason. Due to me getting a job just recently -go me!-, and my research paper, and other school projects, I might not be able to write the next chapter so soon. So it might take me a while to post up chapter five, but I promise whenever I have time, I WILL write! Oh, and, I start driving this summer as well, so that cuts into my schedule. Oh, the woes of a teenage life.**

**Well, here it is! Enjoy!**

**Wait! I can't forget the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harvest Moon. But, I am proud to say that I DO own the characters Sophia, Liam, and Charles. They are my babies, please don't steal them. :3**

**Okay, NOW proceed to read the chapter!**

* * *

I sighed and shifted in my chair. Fifteen minutes had passed, and I just couldn't get into the book I had randomly picked out. I was anxious. Anxious for when Gray would show up. What would I say to him? How would I explain all of this to Mary? What would she think of me afterwards? Maybe I should just forget about doing this all together and just leave when I normally did…

_No, Claire. You aren't going anywhere. You are going to stick with this until the end._

I sighed again and closed my book that I found very uninteresting at the moment.

"Is everything all right?"

I looked at the librarian, but she was busy looking at something on her desk. I sighed once again, which was beginning to annoy me even. "What are you writing?"

She looked up then, a surprised look on her face. "Um…uh…Well, it's not even done yet, so…"

"Are you not gonna tell me?" I asked, blowing my bangs out of face. "Can you at least tell me how far along you are?"

"Uh…Let's see…I have about…four chapters written, but they are rough drafts. It's a romance novel, but I guess you can call it more of a fantasy romance."

I raised an eyebrow and a smile formed on my lips. "Do you have any fantasies, Mary?"

She blushed a dark red and gasped quietly. I started laughing, almost falling out of the chair I was sitting on. _Oh, I got her good._

"N-no, I don't," She stated, playing with her raven-black tresses. I noticed that they weren't pulled back into a loose braid today. _Hmmm…_

"I don't-"

"Why isn't your hair in a braid today?" I interrupted.

She stopped playing with her hair and looked at me from across the room. "Huh?"

"Your hair. Why isn't it in the usual braid? Are you doing anything special today?"

Mary shifted in her chair and played with the papers on her desk. She was avoiding my question, I just knew it. After she messed with the things on the desk in front of her for a while, she finally looked up and answered me.

"Gray is taking me to the Inn for dinner tonight."

_WHAT?!_

"Pardon?"

"Listen, Claire, I know you have something against Gray." She was wrong, I had nothing against him. "But I really didn't want to tell you…that…I have been…sort of…seeing him for the past…month."

What was this feeling?

Oh yeah, it was the feeling of me getting ran over by a freight train.

"Excuse me?" I asked. More like snapped. "You're doing _what_ with _whom?_"

The librarian cringed a little at my harsh tone and I felt rather guilty…but I didn't really care. "I'm sorry Claire. I mean…I can always just cancel if that's how you feel."

_You bet you're cancelling._ That's what I wanted to say. I really, really did. But it just seemed childish and unnecessary. I took a deep breath before speaking again.

"No, go on _your_ date, Mary, I really _don't _care," I said rather venomously.

What was wrong with me? It was like a whole different person took over and left me to watch their actions from the sidelines. But, I sort of…liked this new attitude that I had. I was about to speak my mind, and I've never done that in my life. I wasn't about to stop this newly found courage just because of some little shy librarian. Oh, no, I wasn't.

"I'm sorry if that offends you in any way, Claire. Can you at least tell me why you speak so negative towards Gray and I being together? You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you."

I let out a rather loud laugh and sprang out of my chair. "I have nothing against you two." I stomped off towards the door and left without another word, slamming the rather unfortunate door shut after me.

I let out a small, but very annoyed and angry scream. At least the wind had died down. That was a good sign. I might have had to punch it. I started off towards my farm, still holding on to Gray's hat.

Gray.

I wanted to punch him too. Hard. _Very_ hard. How could he just do something like that? He could have told me that he was going out with Mary, instead of me finding out this way. Of course I would have been angry, but not as angry as I was at this very moment. I didn't want to snap at Mary, but what she said just broke something inside of me.

There could be no words to describe the way I was feeling right now. Towards Mary. Especially towards Gray. I took said boy's hat and punched it. Ahhhhh…I felt a little better. 

Let's just hope that I didn't have to resort to any physical violence to get this sick, twisted thing that I had gotten myself into sorted out.

I let out a sigh, trying to relax myself. I really didn't know what came over me back at the library. I guess I wouldn't be going there for a while. I would have to let things simmer for a little while before going back and…I guess…apologize to her. Mary didn't do anything wrong. It was…_Gray._ Everything was pointing back to him.

I looked up, just as someone came barreling towards me…

I fell to the ground, but luckily the idiot who knocked themselves into me brought their hand behind my head so I didn't ricochet my skull against the stones that were the street. The wind was knocked out of me when the warm, rock-hard body fell on top of my own petite one. I swear this person, definitely male, lifted weights or something.

I blinked at the mass that was still on top of me and pushed him off rather forcefully. He rolled on the ground with a grunt. "What the hell was that for?"

"Watch where the hell you're going! You almost killed me!"

He lifted his head and we locked eyes for a moment, before he looked away. I swear my heart fluttered. "Claire?"

Oh great, it was him; the devil himself.

Gray.

"Who does it look like? Mary? Sorry to disappoint you," I snapped.

"What is wrong with you Claire?" He asked, rubbing his head. "What does Mary have anything to do with this?"

"Here's you stupid hat, jerk-off." I threw said object in his direction, not caring if it hit him in the head and poked his eye out. I got up and stalked back to my farm, not answering to my name he was so clearly yelling out.

* * *

I flopped on top of my bed and let out an exasperated groan. Jerk-off. Hah. What a silly name to call someone you're mad at. I guess I could be pretty childish when I was angry. But I didn't really care. I was mad, and someone was going to pay for it, no matter the consequences. I would deal with those later.

And how stupid of me to think that there was still hope for us when I found out that he still wore that damn hat that I got for him all those years ago. He should have just thrown it away since he didn't feel that way towards me anymore. Idiot.

I maneuvered myself under my comfy bedding, not caring that I was going to bed at two o'clock in the afternoon. I yawned and closed my eyes, yearning for sleep to overcome me.

_"Claire, stop fidgeting. You look fine."_

_"But, Gray…," I pouted, toying with my pink sun dress with white lace trim on the bottom. "Do I look okay?"_

_He laughed. "Of course you do. Have you been listening to me for the past fifteen minutes since we've been in the car?"_

_It was true, I kept asking, and he kept telling me that I looked great. Which earned him a blush from me each time he said it. We were in the Mercedes-Benz once again with Charles. Gray was taking me to meet his parents, Liam and Sophia Walters. According to Gray, Sophia couldn't wait to meet me. He still hadn't said anything about his father._

_It has been a couple of weeks since we went horse-back riding, and Gray still wore that hat I had bought for him. Of course, he couldn't wear it during school, but he still tried. He was constantly being told to take it off. _

_Girls still talked about me behind my back, but I learned to ignore them. Somewhat. It still hurt to know that they hated me just because I was going out with Gray. When I told him about what other girls said about me, Gray just simply told me that they were jealous of me and not to worry about. I felt a little better after that, but not much._

_"Are we there yet?"_

_"Claire, stop whining. And yes, we are almost there. Relax."_

_He gave my hand a squeeze, which he hadn't let go of since the beginning of the car ride to his house. No, excuse me, _mansion_. But to Gray, it was _just_ a five bedroom, four bathroom _house_. Well, to me, it was a mansion. My two bedroom, one bathroom abode is, indeed, a house; which, as you can tell, is not a mansion._

_Okay, enough house talk. More about Gray and me. I guess you could say we have grown a little closer since we first started dating a little over two months ago. We haven't even had our first fight yet. It was probably due to the fact that he _always_ agreed with me._

_I felt Gray let go of my hand and I gave him a questioning look. He stared back at me, chuckling. "Your palms are sweaty. You really are nervous."_

_Wiping my hands on the sides of my dress, I let out a shaky laugh. I was definitely nervous. I was sure of that. I took a deep, relaxing breath. It calmed me a little, but not much. "Feel better?" He asked me._

_"Hmmm…I think so."_

_"Good, because we're here."_

_"What?!"_

_"Too late to get nervous again, Claire," Gray said, opening the door and dragging me out of the car. "Let's go!"_

_I was helplessly dragged along behind him, staring at the house before us. I was awestruck at the red and brown bricked two story house that I was looking up at. Four, very tall, white pillars stood in front of the entryway. A very large and rather wide staircase led up to the walkway that surrounded the house. I could tell it would be very tiresome to walk up all of those stairs…_

_Gray, probably from excitement, started steering us through the luscious green grass that surrounded his home. I was starting to get tired from all of this running; Charles could have just dropped us off in front of the house and then carried me up all of those steps._

_Hah, wishful thinking, Claire, I thought to myself. _

_We finally made it to the stairs, and I had to stop. "Gray," I panted. "Please…I'm dying here…"_

_He turned around and gave me a look of sympathy. "Oh! I'm sorry! I just got so excited. We can take the stairs really slow, if you'd like."_

_How he wasn't tired was beyond my understanding. "Yes, please." I attempted a smile. He smiled back and led me up the stairs, slowly this time._

_We took each step one at a time, but I guess that wasn't good enough for Gray. He quickened his pace and we were literally skipping up the stairs, missing a couple of steps here and there. Once we made it to the top, I was out of breath and Gray was still excited as ever._

_I seriously needed to get into shape._

_"I can't wait for you to meet my mom; she's going be so happy to finally meet you Claire."_

_"I…can't…wait…either…" I was panting. _

_He gave me a strange look and asked, "What's wrong with you?"_

_What did it look like? I was practically dying! "I'm tired!" I managed to wheeze out._

_"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry."_

_I waved my hand, dismissing the apology. "No no, it's okay. Let's just get this over with."_

_"Okay!" He exclaimed, grabbing my hand again as we made our way to the door. _

_Once we were inside, Gray called out to his mom, making the tall front room echo a very loud "MOM!" In front of us was a large marble white staircase which led into two different directions, but both joined together on the second floor. I could hear the faint sound of clicking against marble._

_'Clickclickclickclick'._

_"Coming, sweetie!" An overly sweet voice yelled from the grand stairwell._

_Gray grinned. "That's my mom," He said proudly. I gave him a smile and squeezed his hand._

_It took Gray's mom a couple of minutes to travel down the stairs. When she finally came into view, she gave us both a huge smile, showing off her perfect pearly white teeth. She practically ran down the stairs toward us. She extended out her arms and grabbed Gray in a hug, leaving me to watch as he slipped his hand out of mine to hug her back._

_"Hey, mom."_

_"Hello, Gray dear! How are you?"_

_As they went on talking, I couldn't help but stare at Sophia's beauty. Her long brownish-blonde hair flowed down to her shoulders, ending in complicated curls. Her hair framed a perfect, tanned, heart-shaped face. She had kind, ocean-blue eyes (the same as Gray's) and her petite frame made her look even better than what she already was. All in all, Gray and his mother looked nothing alike, except for the eyes, but their personalities matched perfectly._

_I came back from my thoughts just as she engulfed me in a hug as well. She smelled of lilies and lavender. She loosened her grip on me and held me by the shoulders gently. "And this must be Claire! I'm Sophia, Gray's mother. It's so nice to finally meet you!"_

_I gave her a smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, too. Gray's wanted me to do this for a while."_

_She laughed. She had a light, care-free laugh. It was nice. "Hah, I know. He's told me all about you. He hardly ever stops talking about you."_

_"Mom!"_

_"Oh," I said, blushing. "Does he?"_

_"Mhm," She hummed._

_"Where's dad?" Gray asked. "He knew Claire was coming over today."_

_"Oh, honey, relax. He went golfing and informed me that he would be here in time for dinner."_

_"Uh…okay."_

_Sophia clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "I was thinking that since it's such a nice day today that we could go outside and have some tea! Gray, dear, you really need to get some sun too, you look like a ghost."_

_He simply shrugged and shook his head. "Mom, I am tan, just not as much as you."_

_I had to suppress a laugh at that._

_The older woman clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, tapping her manicured fingernails. "Well, fine, don't take your mother's advice. Claire, how about we go outside and enjoy the sun?"_

* * *

_We walked through the house, with Gray moping behind us while we talked. Sophia showed me the dining room first, which was remarkable. A large, dark mahogany table sat in the middle of the equally dark hardwood floor. The cream colored dining chairs looked plush and soft to the touch, with elaborate designs decorating each surface. A beautiful teardrop chandelier hung from the ceiling, complimenting the dark green walls._

_The kitchen was next. We passed a huge archway into said room, which was a huge contrast to the dark and sophisticated dining area. The walls were a pale yellow, with little white flowers bordering the ceiling and the floors. White cabinetry lined one wall and a gigantic breakfast island stood in the middle of room. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling above the large island and the blades of the white ceiling fan were in the shape of flower petals. Dark wood floors also accented this room, giving it a homey and cheerful vibe._

_"Now this room is my pride and joy. I just love cooking! How about you Claire? Do you like cooking?"_

_"Um…no, not really."_

_"Ah no? That's okay; everyone likes to do something different. That's what makes us unique, right, Gray?"_

_"Right," He answered quietly. "Unique…"_

_I turned around and eyed him expectantly. "What's wrong, Gray?"_

_He looked at me, searching my eyes for something. Almost pleading. "N…Nothing, Claire. Nothing's wrong."_

_I cocked my head to the side, a thoughtful expression on my face. "Are you sure? You can always tell me what's bothering you, you know."_

_He nodded. "Yeah, I know."_

_Sophia looked at her son and stared at him for what seemed like hours. "Hmmm…he does seem bothered, doesn't he, Claire? A good girlfriend always knows when something is going on with their boyfriend."_

_I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just blushed and gave her a nod._

_"Okay, let's go outside and enjoy the fresh air, hmmm?"_

_We followed her to two sliding glass doors. The sun light beamed through the glass, letting rays of light dance across the floor. Gray's mother opened the doors and we were immediately hit by warm, fresh air. We strolled out onto the deck, which overlooked a very large and very beautiful garden. _

_Yellow tulips surrounded a magnificent fountain. Flowering shrubs of all shapes and sizes fenced in the garden, while oriental grasses swayed in the soft breeze. The sun shined down on me brightly, while a warm breeze tickled my skin. _

_I let out a small sigh of contentment as we continued our walk towards a green table. An umbrella was already sprawled out above it, shading the whole table. I raised an eyebrow at a tray with three large glasses and a pitcher on it that was already sitting on the glass table. Sophia got to a chair first. But before she sat down, she moved it out into the sun and then grabbed a one of the glasses filled with iced tea. She sat down and found a comfortable position before letting out a sigh._

_"This is the life; spending the afternoon with my son and his girlfriend, drinking tea on the back deck. Mmmmm…" She looked up at us. "Go on, sit down and enjoy this. This weather isn't going to last long, you know."_

* * *

_Sophia and I were drinking our tea, enjoying t__he outdoors, and soaking up the sun. Even though it was bad for you. Oh well, one day wouldn't hurt me. Gray was acting rather strange, sitting by himself in the shade that the umbrella provided. I wanted to go over there and see what was wrong with him, but it felt awkward with his mother there as well._

_But I guess she sensed my uneasiness. _

_She looked over at me and whispered, "Don't worry, Claire. He's just upset that his father isn't here right now. I told him that he probably wouldn't and not to get his hopes up, but what did he do? He got his hopes up." She sighed. "Sometimes I can't see what Gray sees in that man. I just wish his father would be here more, spending more time with him, you know? I want the best for Gray, and his father isn't really helping with that."_

_I gazed over at said boy, who was tapping his fingers on the table he was leaning on and spacing out. "Oh. I see."_

_"He'll get over it soon." Sophia gave me a small smile. "I'm so glad you're with him. He's been a lot happier these past couple of months, and I think it's because of you. Whatever you have over him is quite powerful, Claire."_

_She took a sip of her iced tea, waiting for an answer I clearly couldn't find to give her. "Well thank you, Misses Walters."_

_She groaned. "Please, call me Sophia. Misses Walters just makes me sound…old."_

_I laughed nervously. "Sorry, Sophia."_

_She laughed cheerfully and turned her attention to Gray. "Gray, sweetheart, why don't you take Claire around the house and give her the rest of the tour? I'm sure she'd love that."_

_"I would," I agreed._

* * *

_We were walking hand in hand through the dining room. Gray was going to show me his room. I wasn't nervous or anything. So, don't get the wrong idea._

_I eyed the grand stairwell and frowned. I was never one for exertion. "We have to climb those? Are you kidding me? Don't you, like, have an elevator or something?"_

_Gray laughed and shook his head. "No. My mom believes in exercise, she says it's good for you. You sure are lazy."_

_"No, I'm not lazy. I'm just not in shape, that's all."_

_"Huh," He tapped his chin, "Well, how are you gonna get up these stairs, hmmm?"_

_"Um…uh…" I was dreading this._

_Before I knew it, I was hoisted over his shoulder, and he was already climbing the stairs. "Hey!"_

_"What?" It was like I didn't even affect him. Wasn't I heavy?_

_"Gray, you can put me down. I can climb the stairs."_

_"Nah, I think I like you up here. And I really don't want to hear you complain." _

_He stopped for a moment and repositioned me on his shoulder, lightly brushing my upper thigh. My breath caught in my throat but he didn't seem to notice that he did that. I held my chin in my hands and rested my elbows on Gray's back as I was carried up to the second floor like a limp ragdoll. Oh, joy._

* * *

_Gray stopped at a plain wooden door and opened it, with me still hanging over his shoulder. Once he was inside the room, he set me down gently. When I was free, I punched his arm playfully and stomped my foot._

_"Hey," He yelled, "What was that for?" _

_I giggled at his fake pouting and answered, "That's for carrying me all the way up here against my will!"_

_He huffed and crossed his arms. "Well if I didn't, we'd probably STILL be on the first step." _

_I cocked an eyebrow. "No, we would not!"_

_"Would too!"_

_"Would not!"_

_"Would too!"_

_"Would too!"_

_"Would not!"_

_I pumped my fist in the air and laughed. "Aha! I got you!"_

_"Ha-ha, very funny Claire."_

_I stuck out my tongue and then waved my hand in the air, signaling him to show me his room that we were now in. The walls were a dark blue…my favorite color. His dark oak bed sat against the wall, a plaid blue comforter covering it messily._

_He smiled and motioned me towards his shiny, rather large flat-screen TV. I was practically drooling. "Look!" He exclaimed, pointing to a mess of video games and gaming _

_platforms that were on the floor next to the TV. "Remember you told me how you loved video games?"_

_I grinned. "Yeah and how I can beat your butt at ANY game."_

_He smirked at me, and I could just tell that there was going to be some type of competition. "Well, let's see how good you really are at playing video games. Let's play!"_

_I plopped down next to him and shook my head. "Prepare for a huge beat-down, Gray."_

_"Hah, we'll see about that."_

_Oh, yes, we'll see._

* * *

_"Woohoo!" I yelled, throwing my arms up in a victory move._

_"Bah! Claire, you're soooo cheating! There is no way you could win ten times in a row!"_

_"I'm not cheating. I told you, I was just born with video-game-playing skills."_

_"Well, no one has ever beaten me at _Super Smash Bros!" _I laughed when he clasped his hands together and looked at me with sparkling eyes._ "_Teach me your ways, Claire, queen of all video games!"_

_I laughed. Hard. The way he looked at me when he said that, _priceless._ "No way," I moved my palm in front of his face, "You just need skill. Which, obviously, you don't have."_

_"Psssht. I have skill, you just have _better_ skill," He replied, grabbing my hand. My heart skipped a beat at his touch. He must have had the same reaction, because he stared at me for the longest time, dazed._

_"__**GRAY! **__Sweetheart, your father is home! Come downstairs!"_

_I swear Sophia wasn't going to have a voice, the way she was yelling._

_Gray grabbed my hand and helped me to my feet. "C'mon," He commanded, dragging me out the door and down the stairs._

* * *

_Once we got down the twenty-million stairs (hah), I saw what looked to be Gray's father and Sophia talking quietly. Gray cleared his throat, still holding my hand. I felt a little more awkward when he did this with his father around._

_The two adults stopped their quiet conversation and turned their attention to us. Sophia smiled at us both and gave me a cheery 'hello'. I did the same to her. We all stood there in silence for a couple of minutes before I worked up the courage to introduce myself to Liam._

_I extended my hand out and gave him a small smile. "Hello, I'm Claire, Gray's girlfriend."_

_He gave my hand a firm shake and let it go. "Nice to meet you, Claire. As you probably already know, I'm Liam, his father."_

_His voice was exactly like Gray's, just deeper. I couldn't believe how similar they looked. The reddish brown hair, the gentle face, and the exact same nose. The only thing different was that Liam had emerald green eyes, instead of ocean blue ones._

_"Okay, dinner is going to be ready fairly soon, so go wash up you two," Sophia explained. "Liam, why don't you change out of that golfing attire and into something a little more formal? A guest is present."_

_"Yes, dear."_

_After Gray's parents left, we both stood there, not saying anything. It was I who I had to break the silence. "Formal? I'm wearing a sundress for Pete's sake!" Even Gray looked formally dress; in his khaki pants and dark blue polo._

_"Relax, I think you look great."_

_Cue blushing._

_"I suppose we go…do something productive with ourselves until dinner is ready," Gray said, leading me to a different part of the house._

_Something was wrong with Gray…_

* * *

_I pushed my salad around in the bowl with my fork, slightly uncomfortable. Liam, Gray's father, was badgering me with questions. Well, now he was._

_"So, Claire, what do your parents do for a living?" He asked me, placing a forkful of salad in his mouth._

_"Well, um, my mom is the manager of a grocery store and my dad works as a teller at a bank."_

_"Oh, I see. So you are of middle class?"_

_I almost choked on the mouthful of greens I had stuffed in my mouth moments ago._

_Gray dropped his fork and gave me an 'I'm sorry' look from across the table, while Sophia, who was sitting next to me, whispered, "Just don't let it get to you, sweetie."_

_"Pretty much," I replied. "So you are, like, of upper class? Hmmm?"_

_He stopped his fork mid-way towards his mouth, a shocked expression washing over his face. Sophia had to "cough", while Gray stuffed his mouth with more salad._

_Liam cleared his throat. "So, Gray tells me that you are interested in what I do for a living," He stated, ignoring my witty and smart question._

_Hah, take that._

_"Yes. Now, do you do your own work, or do you hire people to do it for you?"_

_Gray's mouth dropped, while Sophia grabbed my hand underneath the table and gave it a squeeze. _

_He laughed. "Well, when you get to be where I am today, you don't have to do all of the dirty work you once had to do. What about you? Do you _even plan_ on going to college?"_

_This time, my mouth dropped. Was he insulting my intelligence? _

_I think he was._

_"Why yes, I do. But not all people are blessed with thousands of dollars so they could spend it on sending their child to college."_

_"Who said anything about money?" He asked, almost smirking._

_I was about to wipe that smirk off of his face. And if anyone interrupted me while I was doing it, they would pay._

_"You may think middle class is a little…dingy. But I am perfectly happy with my lifestyle, and I don't need you insulting that."_

_"How can you insult something that isn't even worth insulting?"_

_I felt like crying, but I wouldn't give him the victory that he oh-so-wanted. No way. Across the table, Gray tried making eye contact with me, but I refused to look at him. Sophia gave my hand another squeeze, almost pulling it off of my arm._

_"Dad, I don't think you should be treating Claire like that."_

_I heard Sophia let out a huge sigh of relief, for what reason, I did not know. _

_And that was the end of the conversation. No one talked through the rest of dinner._

* * *

_Gray and Liam (It hurt me to say his name) had gone to the kitchen while I helped Sophia clean up the dining room table. I asked her why she didn't have a maid or a cleaning service and she simply replied, "Cleaning relieves stress and you can't get too dependent on other people."_

_I simply nodded at her reasoning and continued to pick up random dishes, wondering what Gray was doing. Sophia suddenly slammed the plates she was carrying down on the table, startling me. "Claire, I'm so sorry for earlier. I was afraid that he would have said something even worse. I just don't get why he is so rude…"_

_"It's fine-"_

_"No, no it's not."_

_"It's okay, Sophia, it wasn't your fault."_

_She gave me a smile. "All right…"_

_"Can I do anything else?" I asked, leaning against the table._

_"Um…Well, I really don't like making guests work, but…could you bring those dishes you have to the kitchen for me? You are such great help. Thank you."_

_I gave her a nod, and headed for the kitchen with dishes in hand. When I got into the kitchen area, I noticed that the sliding glass doors were open, and voices were seeping through from outside._

_"I don't like __**her**__."_

_"Why? Why don't you like Claire?"_

_"Did you hear the way she was talking to me during dinner?"_

_"Of course. But you deserved that. You weren't treating her very well, either."_

_"So you are going to take her side on this? Over your own father?"_

_"Yes, I am. She was right; it wasn't very respectful of you to insult her like that. What was going through your head when you were speaking to her like that? It looked like she was about to cry!"_

_"What's wrong with stating the truth?"_

_"Everything, especially when it's __**not**__ the truth."_

_"I don't want you seeing her anymore. Is that understood?"_

_"No, it's not understood! What? You don't want me seeing her anymore because she hurt your overly huge ego? Sorry, but you don't run my life."_

_"Gray, you shouldn't talk to me like that! I don't run your life? Well, I __**do**__ control what you do. And, believe me; you won't be doing anything with Claire for as long as I say so."_

_"You can't do that."_

_"Oh, yes, I can."_

_"Fine, but I'm not staying here then if that's the way you feel about her."_

_"Good, how about you leave? I don't want you in this house until you get it through your thick skull that I __**am**__ in charge and that you __**won't**__ be seeing her."_

_"If that's what you want, I'm gone. I don't really like it here anyway."_

_It was at this time that Gray stomped into the room, stopping abruptly upon seeing me, open-mouthed in the middle of the kitchen. "Claire! Did…did you hear that?"_

_I nodded absentmindedly, still wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He rushed over to me and grabbed the dishes out my outstretched hands, setting them down on one of the many counters occupying the area. He then proceeded to grab my hand and led me out back into the dining room. His mother was still tidying up, and she immediately sensed something was wrong._

_"Gray! What's the matter? Are you okay, sweetie?"_

_"I'm fine, mom," He said, walking right past her. "I'm getting my things."_

_"What!? You're leaving? Why?"_

_He stopped, still squeezing my hand. I stood there with my head down, not speaking. "__**He**__ kicked me out, that's why."_

_She gasped, throwing her hand over her mouth. "Wherever will you go Gray? I mean-"_

_"I'll figure something out. But maybe you should leave for a while too, mom."_

_"Then you could come with me!" She was crying now, and I did my best not to. I felt for her, and for Gray. _

_"No, I don't think I should. Don't cry, mom…"_

_"Gray could stay with me, Sophia." I was surprised at the sound of my own voice. It sounded so foreign, so distant. "My parents won't mind."_

_"Are you…sure?" I bobbed my head. "Okay, Gra-Gray. Go get…your things. I'll have…Char-Charles…pick you up."_

_He nodded, and we were off again, to his room._

_Once we reached his room, Gray started digging through his drawers and closet, throwing anything he could find in his duffel bag. "I'm so sorry Claire," He said has he zipped up the bag. "You didn't need to experience this…This is…my fault."_

_I grabbed his hand and shook my head. "No, it's not. If anything, it's my fault. I shouldn't have said anything."_

_"Yeah, right. I'm glad you did. He was in the wrong, not you. I just wish…"_

_He glanced around his room once more, his hands in tight fists. His eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up in a frown. I was guessing that this wasn't the first time he had fought with his father. I wrapped my hands around one of his fists and made him loosen it. I rubbed his palm gently and gave it a quick pat before looking up. "You need to calm down, Gray. Everything is going to be fine, okay?"_

_He stared at me, his blue eyes searching mine. I swear I was going to get lost in them if he didn't look away. "I…guess…," He mumbled, still looking into my eyes._

_I gave him a small smile as we left his room._

* * *

_"Claire's house, Gray?" Charles asked, giving him a look of sympathy through the rear-view mirror._

_"Yes."_

_And we were off. My boyfriend was sitting next to me, instead of the other side of the car. I didn't mind at all. His fingers were interlaced with mine and we were both looking out into space. After some time, Gray finally spoke up._

_"Thank you Claire, for letting me stay with you. I hope I'm not going to get in your parents' way."_

_"Are you kidding me? My parents absolutely adore you! Don't worry about it; you won't be intruding in on anything."_

_He smiled, but only a little. "Okay."_

* * *

_We walked through my front door as I called out for my mother. "Claire! Did you have fun at Gray's?" She asked as she entered the living room, her straight blonde hair swishing as she moved. "Oh! Gray, you're here! How are you, darling?"_

_"I'm fine…Molly, thanks for asking."_

_My mother frowned at his sulky answer. She was used to his upbeat mood and happy responses. "Is something the matter?"_

_I rubbed the back of my neck nervously as she eyed the duffel bag hanging over Gray's shoulder. "Well…you see…Gray needs a place to stay for a while. He can stay here, right?"_

_"Well," She said, cocking her head to the side, "Gray can stay here whenever he wants. So, yes."_

* * *

_My mother and I were upstairs in my room, fixing a bed for Gray on the floor. Gray and my father were downstairs, doing something that supposedly "men do", as my father states. More like talking about baseball or any other sport they could think of._

_"So, mind telling me why Gray is staying here?"_

_I looked up from my bent position, dropping the blankets I was arranging. "Um…uh…Well, Gray and his father got in a fight."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "About…?"_

_"Me."_

_"Oh."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Wanna tell me what happened, Claire?"_

_I sighed and stood up. "Mom, I…just don't want to talk about it right now. I feel guilty enough as it is… I'll…tell you later, I promise."_

_She furrowed her brow and frowned, obviously not happy with my answer. "Guilty?"_

_"Yes. Gray's father kicked him about because of…me." _

_"Huh," She brushed some hair from her face, "His father is an ass."_

_"Pardon?"_

_"Gray's father. He sounds like an ass. Who could kick out someone like Gray?"_

_I shook my head. "I don't know…"_

_She clapped her hands together and gave me a smile, changing the subject. "Well, we shouldn't dwell on this. Let's go make some dinner, mmmkay? I wonder what Gray wants…"_

_I smiled at the fact that she was talking to herself more than me. "Sure," I said, following her downstairs._

_If I knew one thing, it was that my family and I would make sure Gray was more comfortable here then he was at home._

My eyes fluttered open, and I saw the undecorated, plain room that was my house. Stupid dream. I really needed to stop having these memories, they were heart wrenching. I fumbled around until I had untangled myself from the sheets. I checked my wristwatch; I was asleep for an hour or so. What woke me up?

_Ugh._

Someone was knocking on my door.

"Hmph," I mumbled, getting comfortable again. They could knock themselves out for all I cared.

No pun intended.

I fluffed my pillow and laid my head down, yearning to go back to bed. Sooner or later they'd stop and leave my property. Hopefully.

_Knock. Knock._

_Knock._

I drove my head into my pillow, hoping the person would just leave.

_Knock. Knock. Knockknockknockknock._

I definitely knew one thing. I was going to rip that door off its hinges and smack whoever was pounding their fist against it with said door. They seriously needed to quit doing that; I was _not_ in the mood.

_Bam. Bam._

The pounding was getting louder now. I took my pillow and covered my head with it and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Claire! I know you're in there, open this door right now."

How _dare_ they trespass on _my_ farm, knock on _my _door repeatedly, and then have the nerve to tell _me_ what to do in _my_ own home! That was it, I was going to freak. I whipped the covers off of my body, not caring if they landed on the floor or not. I almost fell down when I tried walking over to the front door, still groggy. But luckily I caught myself by grabbing a chair before I could hurt myself.

I whisked the door open when I finally reached it, the sun hurting my eyes. "What the _hell_ do you want? You better have a _damn_ good reason to-"

Oh boy.

It was Gray.

"Claire!"

"What?" I asked bitterly.

"I need to speak with you, _now_."

"Apparently. You've been knocking on my door for the past five minutes. Which was rather annoying, just to let you know."

Ignoring my smart remark, he went on. I noticed that he was wearing that damn hat once again. He just needed to throw that stupid thing away instead of taunting me by wearing it. That hat was a constant reminder of what we once shared.

"What is your problem Claire? Why did you freak out on Mary?" He shook his head as if ashamed. Of me. "Do you know that she wanted me to come here and see what was wrong? We had to cancel our evening because of you."

I stared at him, wide-eyed with shock. Did he seriously just say that to me? That it was my fault that they had to cancel their little date? Wow, he had some nerve.

"You inconsiderate ass! How could you say something like that?" Tears began to fall from my eyes. Angry, hot tears. "Do you even know what I gave up to come here? My job, my family, my friends. I even passed up another potential relationship because of _you_!" I jabbed a finger at him, taking a deep breath.

He stared at me, mouth agape. I scowled before continuing on. "So, you _really_ have the balls to come here and blame _me_." I clenched my fists at my side and looked him in the eyes. Surprise. Shock. Hurt. These emotions were swirling around in his beautiful ocean blue orbs. This was surprising, since he hardly let his emotions leak out through his eyes.

"Claire I-"

I held up my hand, interrupting him. "You know, I was really stupid for coming here. And I don't really care what you have to say." I turned my back to him and walked into my home, slamming the door closed. Too bad it didn't hit him in the face.

My door creaked open and I turned around to see Gray walk in, not even caring that he was trespassing. I stomped my foot and crossed my arms, fuming. "Claire, you just can't shut the door in someone's face when they are trying to explain themselves," He stated calmly.

"Get out of my house, you…stalker!"

He walked towards me, but I backed up. "Claire, please, let me explain."

"No! Get. Out. Now."

He was quicker than me and grabbed my arm and gave it a tight, almost loving squeeze.

Wait,_ loving_?

"I'm not leaving until you let me explain." He looked me in the eyes, daring me to argue, and I shoved him back. He let out a grunt as he stumbled backwards into the wall.

I ran over to the other side of the table, eyeing the television remote on top of the TV. I quickly grabbed the small black device and turned around, whipping it at Gray's head. "Leave me alone, Gray!"

Unfortunately, it missed his head by mere inches. No, it was more like feet. I didn't really have good aim. He looked at me, wide-eyed. "Did you just throw a remote at me?"

"What did it look like?" I growled.

His eyes got even bigger, if that was possible. "Did you just growl?"

I turned around and crossed my arms, not wanting to look at him any longer. "Gray, so help me, if you don't get out _right _now I'll-"

"You'll what?" I felt a light tugging on my left shoulder, and I was quickly turned around, facing him….nose to nose. My breath caught in my chest as he touched his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. "Claire…"

"Gray," It took all my will power to say it, "Get...out…"

And that's when it happened.

He lifted his face away from mine and grabbed both of my shoulders gently, staring at me the whole time. I watched him, wide-eyed and shocked, not really comprehending anything that was happening. He pulled me closer to him, leaning down himself. I could feel his warm breath 

blow on my face. It smelled of spicy mint. _Mmmmm…_ He lifted my chin with his index finger so that I was looking up at him. I was still dazed…and confused…and angry…and so many other things. But the way he was leaning into me like that didn't help me sort things out any better.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine. His hands traveled up and down my arms, stopping at the crook of my elbows, which he used to pull me closer to him, if that was even possible. His eyes were closed, and I slowly found myself doing the same thing. I literally saw sparks fly before my closed eyelids as he deepened the kiss. How could I have forgotten how good of a kisser Gray was?

His hand travelled up to my face and he cupped my cheek. And that's when everything clicked. Gray was kissing me. _Gray _was _kissing_ me. I felt his tongue graze my bottom lip, asking for entrance. My eyes shot open as the seriousness of the situation sunk in and I quickly shoved him off of me.

We were both panting from lack of air, and it was hard for me to speak. Well, more like a whisper. "What the…hell…is…wrong with you Gray? Why did…you do that?"

He tried grabbing my hand, but I smacked his hand away. "Tell me. Now." I absentmindedly brushed my fingertips across my lips. They were still tingling from the kiss that took place moments ago.

"I…Claire…"

I sighed and breathed in deeply, composing myself the best I could. If he wasn't going to be able to explain his actions, I was going to tell him off. How dare he toy with my emotions like that and not be able to tell me why! I didn't think it was possible for me to get any angrier than what I already was. But I guess I was wrong.

"Don't "I…Claire…" me, Gray. Did you forget that you're dating Mary? Or did that little lip-locked stunt fog your thinking process? Hmmm? Please, indulge me a-"

"I love you."

Well if that didn't leave me wide-eyed and open-mouthed, I didn't know what would.

"Uh…what…," I mumbled, rubbing my head. He was confusing me on so many different levels that it was starting to seriously hurt my head.

He quickly walked over to me, cupping my head in his hands. "I love you, Claire. I was just…so…angry and hurt when you came here that I said the first thing that popped into my head. And when you didn't even write a letter or call, I seriously thought you were over me. But when you showed up telling me you wanted to pick up where we left off, I was incredibly happy, but then I got angry that you waited four damn years to come here and tell me."

I couldn't believe he was telling me this. He still loved me? But he told me he didn't feel the same way towards me like before. What was his deal? And what about Mary? "So you let me think you didn't love me for weeks? And what about Mary, have you even thought of her?"

"Yes…and I'm sorry. Mary? I…like her a lot…but…"

"So let me get this straight. You lie to me, and to Mary. And then you kiss me, and tell me you love me. Right after you said it was my fault that you couldn't go on your date with Mary. …What's your problem?"

"I-"

"You know what? Save it. I don't want to hear it. I want you out of my house, _now_. Don't make me ask you again, Gray. You messed with me too much as of tonight. I don't want to see your face for a very long time. And Mary will be hearing about this…just not yet. Maybe you should go apologize to her for ruining her date. 'Cause it definitely wasn't _my_ fault."

"Claire, please."

"I said _out_."

And he left.

And for once, I didn't cry over him.

* * *

**OMG! Did you like? Review and let me know what you think, I love to hear from you all. Tell me your suggestions, ideas, and all that jazz! I'm listening!**

**I have a really good plot bunny that attacked me the other night that will be used in a later chapter. Oh, and yes, there will be another pairing other than Graire. -cough-KAI-cough- **

**Okay, I'm off! The next chapter will hopefully be up soon, but I'm not really sure with all of this stuff that is going on. Thanks again!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow- I finished this chapter! It's unbelievable! So- I finished my research paper. Five pages and some odd sentences of utter brilliance! So, the only thing I have to do is do an outline and flush out the rough draft then I can forget about the whole thing in general. Hah. Thanks to all who wished me luck on it, it means a lot to me!**

**And my job! I love it! Let's just leave it at that. ;D I recently tye-dyed two weeks ago. It was amazing. My Brilliance-In-A-Bag, AKA my tye-dye-shirt-in-a-plastic-bag-my-teacher-gave-me, came out awesome! I adore it. Anyways- I don't really think you want to know about that, do you? Lawl.**

**50 reviews? o0 WHOA!! That's a lot! I love you all, I really do. If I could reach through the screen and hug you all, I would. But technology hasn't reached that far, so sadly, I cannot do that. I could attempt it, but I don't think it will turn out well. Oh well, you all get cupcakes for it. Mmmm...cupcakes!**

**Prologue:** You will know here! OMAHGAWSH! And you haven't gotten any heads up for this chapter, sorry! :( And you need to start writing more of both of your fics, girl!

**Starrnight:** Oh, thank you so much! Yes, I do change tenses sometimes, don't I? But I think I do that for a reason though... Hmmm... Anyway, this flashback at the beginning of this chapter is dedicated to you! The way Gray and Claire were perfect and all sappy-sappy 'I love you!' was getting to me. I needed to write a fight so I wouldn't drown in the fluff. ;D But, it sort of ends in fluff...I just can't help myself! Anyways- Thank you!

**Kuh-Raiiizee Black Rose:** CliffxClaire? No way! Lol. Cliff is a hobo. And anyway, Kai is just more fun. And cuter. And more charming. But thanks for the suggestion though! I'm glad you like this fic!

**final frost bite fantasy:** Haha, Gray IS a player, isn't he? What a naughty boy! Thanks! I'm loving my job, too! Hope you like this chapter.

**Laasya:** Teehee. Kai is sooo adorable, but I just love Gray more. Kai is in second place. But, shhh! Don't tell him that! ;D

**Rai:** Haha. Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Jean Cooper:** Bwaha! Hahahaha! How's that for eviiiil laughter? Yes, I think only you and Prologue know the fate that shall befall on Gray's father. It shall be terrible indeed. :D But, like, OMAHGAWD! You need to update your stories too! Come on, you can't let me wait sooo long! XDD

**b4k4 ch4n:** Wow, I just love your reviews. They are so long and awesome! :3 Just wait till Kai arrives in the summer. Just. You. Wait. So much drama when he barges in. Really, there will be. Annnd...You sort of catch a glimpse of Mary's reaction in this chapter, but more if it in the next chapter. Sorry to keep you waiting!! Oh, and Gray? Well...Gray is just an idiot...and he's confused about his feelings at the moment. Okay, let's just leave it at Gray being an idiot.

**lumanova03:** Oh noes! Don't get in trouble for my sake, dear! Lol. But, I'm really touched that you sacraficed being yelled at to read the last chapter. D Oh, the woes of a teenage life. What ever will we do?

**DoubleKK:** Your questions will be answered in due times, I promise. But I CAN answer the question, 'Why didn't Gray tell her that he loved her when she got there?' The answer is- Gray is stupid. And cofused. But mostly stupid. XD Really, he is. But he'll shape up as the story continues, I promise.

**smile-maker:** I agree, Gray's dad is a moron. Seriously. I cannot even believe I made him up. What's wrong with me? o-o Lol.

**Flying Gummybears:** Yeah, Gray IS confusing. But mostly stupid. He likes to toy with people's emotions. Because he is an idiot. But I still love him. P

**Tateno Atsukino:** Haha, thanks! Hope you like this chapter as well!

**Whew- My hands hurt after that! But, anywho, I guess I need to state that disclaimer right about now, hmmm?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

**Random Fact- Did anyone notice that I use a ton of emoticons? I actually had an emoticon war over the internet with mah best friend a couple of days ago. It was actually a lot of fun. Lawl. :P**

**Okay, enough of my ramblings! On to the next chapter!**

* * *

_I was going to pull my hair out. I was literally going to rip my hair out, strand by strand._

_I didn't think having Gray stay at my house would be this…aggravating, but I guess I was wrong. The past week had been a mess. The way he stays up till the early morning, keeping me up as well, or the fact that whenever he __**does**__ sleep, he constantly moves around and __**still**__ keeps me up. I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in I don't know how long, and I just felt the need to collapse. And the way he would sigh umpteen times in a row when he couldn't sleep, waiting for me to talk to him…irked me. I was seriously going to punch him. Then kick him. __**Then**__ stuff a dirty sock in his mouth and chain him to the floor so I could get some well deserved shut-eye._

_Going to bed early wasn't really working out for me. I wanted to fall asleep before Gray came up, but I was having no such luck. I just hoped that maybe this night would be different, and that he would fall asleep downstairs or something. Or fall down the stairs, having to lie on the floor for the rest of the night until someone woke up to help him._

_I laughed at the thought, but soon felt bad about it. 'That was really mean to think,' I told myself. 'It's not his fault that he has like, insomnia or something.'_

_Suddenly, I didn't feel bad anymore; I heard him coming up the stairs._

_I groaned inwardly as he opened my door quietly, probably not to wake me up or something. Well, he didn't really have to worry about that, did he? _

"_Gray?" I asked as soon as he lied down on his blankets on the floor next to my bed._

"_Hmmm…," He mumbled tiredly._

_I sat up despite my body's protest. "Can I tell you something?"_

_He turned to face me, his head in his right hand. "Yeah, sure," He yawned._

"_Well…," I cleared my throat, "Well, I think you needtogosleeponthecouchdownstairs." The last part of what I said came out so fast that I was worried that he didn't hear me. Heck, I was worried if __**I**__ even understood what I said._

_Gray stared at me, wide-eyed. He sat up and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh…you want me to…what, exactly?"_

_I sighed and took a deep breath, readying myself. "Gray, I can't sleep with you in here. I think you should sleep on the living room couch."_

"_What?"_

_Was he deaf?_

"_GO SLEEP ON THE COUCH DOWNSTAIRS!"_

_The volume of my voice scared Gray, and even me. He practically fell backwards, eyes wide and mouth agape. I didn't know I could yell like that. Hopefully my parents didn't bother to wake up to my outburst._

"_May I ask why?" He questioned calmly. "What did I do?" He sounded worried, and hurt._

_I hated doing this to him, but it was for my own health. If I didn't get enough sleep, it made for a crabby Claire in the morning. Gray would have to suck it up and sleep on the sofa from now on. I just couldn't handle one more night without sleeping._

"_I can't sleep with you in the same room. You have insomnia or something. And you are keeping me up with your constant talking and moving."_

"_Oh. If that's the way you feel…"_

"_That's __**exactly**__ the way I feel."_

_He cringed. 'Ouch,' I thought to myself. 'That must have hurt.'_

"_Well, okay…I'm going now…" _

_Gray got up and went downstairs, his blankets trailing behind him. I almost wanted to yell out 'Wait!', but I thought against it. What would he think of me if I was to let him just stay here after yelling at him like that? I let out frustrated sigh and fell back onto my bed, yearning for sleep._

_It came easily without Gray in the room._

* * *

_I cracked an eye open and groaned quietly. My door creaked open, and I was dreading who it was that had barged into my room. Light footsteps stopped at the end of my bed and I moved my body to where I was laying on my back. I squinted in the darkness at the black shadow that was looming over my head. Rubbing my eyes, I asked, "Yes?"_

"_Claire?"_

"_What is it, Gray?"_

"_I'm sorry."_

_Sitting up in bed, I gave him a questioning look knowing full well that he couldn't see it. He shuffled closer and the ray of moon light illuminating from my bedroom window flashed _

_across his face, revealing his sleepy features. His red tinted brown hair was ruffled, but still shined in the light. His ocean blue eyes were half-closed sleepily, and his night clothes were wrinkled. _

"_I couldn't sleep." _

_I almost laughed. "Told you. You so have insomnia. But, you were saying?"_

"_Oh," He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and casted his glance downwards, away from my intense gaze, "I'm sorry for…keeping you up all night."_

"_Thanks," I said. "But you're still sleeping on the couch."_

_He sulked and looked up, averting my gaze. "…I know…"_

_I rose by eyebrow, stifling a yawn. He really needed to leave. I wanted sleep. "Well, then, get to it," I waved my hand towards my now-open door, "I need my beauty rest, ya know."_

"…_Okay," He mumbled, hanging his head in defeat. Did he think I was going to change my mind? Hah. He had another thing coming. I might have hurt his feelings with my decision, but I'd rather have that than no sleep. He would have to cope with it until he left, or developed a cure for insomnia. Either way, Gray wasn't about to come back in this room, __**my**__ room, and keep me up all night with his constant annoyances. I waited for him to move; he was taking his sweet time getting to the door, which was getting on my nerves. Once he shut the door, I got myself comfortable for the third time and finally got a good night's rest._

* * *

_Eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table was part of my daily routine every morning. The only difference was that today I had an upset Gray sitting across from me, using his spoon to play with his cereal. I took another spoonful, and then swallowed. "What's wrong?" I asked him. "You seem unhappy for some odd reason." Of course, I knew the "odd reason" behind his whole emo-ness this morning. He was still sulking about me kicking him out of my room because I was unable to sleep due to his insomnia-ways._

"_I'm fine."_

_Lie._

"_No you aren't."_

"_I don't want to talk about it," He said, pushing his bowl out of the way. He then proceeded to lay his head down on the table. What a baby. Gray was really taking this whole can't-sleep-in-the-same-room-as-Claire thing too seriously. What was his deal?_

"_Well __**I**__ do," I said, pointing my spoon at him. "It's just the couch, you'll get over it."_

"_Psssht," He crossed his arms as he lifted his head off of the table and looked at me, "I said I was sorry!"_

"_That doesn't mean I'll let you stay in my room! Don't bring other people into your suffering with your insomnia!"_

"_I don't have insomnia!"_

"_Uh, yeah, you __**do,**__" I said, trying to sound threatening._

"_Uh, no, I __**don't**__."_

_I rolled my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. He was getting on my nerves. I pushed my empty bowl to the side and rested my arms on the wooden kitchen table, ready to duke it out with him. I actually had a very good night's rest, and he wasn't about to ruin my morning with his child-like woes._

"_You know I'm right, Gray. And you'll get over it."_

"_Psssht."_

_I rolled my eyes again._

"_You know, one time you're going to roll your eyes and they are going to stay like that."_

"_Eat your cereal, Gray dear."_

"_I'm not a child, Claire." He uncrossed his arms. "Don't talk to me like one."_

"_Well you sure are __**acting**__ like one."_

_He growled quietly, thinking I didn't hear him. Oh, I did. "Shut up."_

_His mouth dropped and he stared at me with a wide-eyed expression. "Did you just tell me to shut up?"_

_I smirked. "Yeah, I did. You gotta problem with that, baby Gray?"_

_He sent me the funniest death glare I had ever seen. If it wasn't a death glare, I probably would have laughed. But this was a glare. And it was the glare of death. _

_I threw my spoon at him._

_It hit him in the head._

"_Ouch! Claire! What was that for?!"_

"_You sent me the glare of death," I smiled sweetly, "I don't like that sort of glare."_

_He rubbed his head, his hair ruffling in his fingers. "Claire that really hurt."_

"_Good," I rolled my eyes, "maybe it'll get rid of your insomnia."_

"_I don't have insomnia!"_

"_You know, Gray, maybe we should stay away from each other at school today. I might feel the need to throw something else at you periodically through the day."_

"_Maybe we should."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Yeah," He agreed. "And I __**don't**__ have a sleeping disorder," He mumbled almost incoherently._

_But I still heard him._

* * *

_Frowning, I looked down at my biology homework, wishing it would just disappear. Or just mysteriously combust in my lap, leaving me with no homework to do. Wouldn't my biology teacher just love to hear that one! 'Oh, sorry, but I couldn't do my homework because it burst into flames for no reason what-so-ever.' _

_I laughed at the thought and frowned again, remembering that I still had to do the stupid homework. I secretly needed Gray to help me with it… Biology wasn't really my forte. Math was more my thing. I could solve almost anything you sent my way._

_Oh, Gray…_

_He was downstairs doing his biology, while I was in my room, __**trying**__ to do mine. I heard the front door in the living room open, and my mother's cheery voice greeting Gray. They talked for quite some time before she climbed up the stairs and walked into my room, without knocking I might add._

"_You could have knocked."_

"_Why is Gray downstairs while you are up here?" _

_Well she didn't wait to get to the point. "We got into a fight last night. Well, more like this morning as well."_

_My mom flicked a strand of blonde hair from her face and looked at me. "About what, may I ask?"_

"_Sleeping arrangements."_

"_What?"_

"_Yeah, I couldn't sleep because Gray has like, insomnia or something. He kept me up at night so I finally told him to sleep downstairs on the couch."_

"_Huh," She sighed. "So that's why he was downstairs this morning when I got up."_

_She leaned against the doorframe and eyed the spot next to my bed where Gray __**used **__to sleep. "Maybe the floor was giving him back problems. Ever think of that?"_

_I frowned. "No."_

"_You __**do**__ have an uncomfortable floor, ya know."_

_The worst thing about that statement was the fact that she was right. My floor was very uncomfortable, and I didn't even think of that. How stupid of me. Sighing, I gave in and said, "Can you send him up here?"_

_She smiled and turned around, getting ready to retreat back to the first floor. "Gladly."_

* * *

_Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump._

_Gray was coming up the stairs, I just knew it. It didn't take my mother long to go down there and tell him the "good" news. He opened the door gently and walked in, his biology book in hand. "You wanted to see me?" He asked happily._

_I took a deep breath and readied myself. Boy was he going to get excited when he listened to what I had to say. "Yeah."_

"_Well…?"_

"_Are you having back problems?"_

_Gray looked at me funny, but didn't answer my question. He stood by the doorway, fidgeting. I furrowed my brow and sat cross-legged on my bed. "Do you?"_

"_Uh…Yeah, they started about a week ago."_

_Frowning, I couldn't help but cross my arms and avert my gaze from his. A week ago he started sleeping on my floor. A week ago his back started hurting. He couldn't sleep because he was having back troubles. And he didn't even tell me about it. "Why didn't you tell me?" He tried to speak, but I cut him off. "You just let me yell at you like that? How am I supposed to know that your back started hurting from my floor?"_

"_I didn't think that it was a big deal until you told me that you couldn't sleep because of me!"_

_I huffed, uncrossing my arms. "Well, I'm sorry."_

"_Me too."_

"_Are we okay, then?" I asked, making room for him on my full-sized bed. He nodded. "Do you wanna do our homework together?"_

_He smiled and rushed over to sit down next to me. "Okay!"_

_Gray started helping me with my homework and some time passed before he asked, "So…Where __**am**__ I sleeping?"_

_All I could do was blush._

* * *

"So, do you want to tell me what happened between you and Mary the other day?"

I sighed and swished the wine around in my glass, trying not to feel sorry for myself. Ann was leaning against the counter across from me, waiting for me to answer. The inn wasn't busy tonight, so she was able to socialize more.

Just my luck.

"It's about Gray, isn't it? She told me you started getting snippy after she mentioned his name. You seem to do that a lot."

"Do what?"

"Get all snippy whenever anyone mentions him."

"I do _not_ get snippy!"

The redhead pointed an accusing finger my way. "Aha! Right there, you just did it!"

I groaned and placed my head down on the countertop. I wanted to tell Ann everything, I really, _really_ did. "Some…things happened between…us."

"What things?"

She sure was persistent.

I lifted my head and looked at her. She stared back, almost challenging me. We kept at our eye-contest for a while until I blinked and looked away, defeated. "…Personal things…"

"I see. Care to elaborate?"

I closed my eyes, taking a drink from my wineglass. "I…I guess it's about time I do explain, isn't it?"

She nodded and I started off at the very beginning…

* * *

Ann stared at me, mouth agape and blue eyes wide. "Are you going to tell Mary about this, Claire?!"

"I was going to the other day, but when she mentioned that she was going out with Gray, something in me just snapped."

"Well, it's mostly that boob's fault anyway! He could have at least told you about that! He broke into your house, kissed you, and then told you he loved you?! After all that's happened between you two?! Goddess, what have you gotten yourself into Claire?"

I shook my head and combed my hand through my long hair. "I don't know, Ann. I just don't know."

She shook her head as well, and made a few 'tsk tsk' sounds. "Whatever will we do?"

Closing my eyes painfully, I tried thinking of a way to apologize to Mary. But every time I thought of a new way, it always ended up with me being decapitated by a fuming librarian. I shuddered and decided on just barging into the library and saying sorry to the poor girl. Whatever happens, happens.

"I'm thinking of going over there tomorrow to apologize."

"Good, I want you two be on good terms, Claire. Mary has only you and me for friends, and I would hate it if she lost one due to some boob named Gray."

I couldn't help but laugh at the name that was dubbed for Gray. _Boob_. Wow, Ann was definitely something. The redhead smiled and laughed with me. "See? Wow, I never really saw you smile like that. You've always been so…I don't know…angsty or something. It's nice to see you happy for once!"

"Thanks, Ann," I smiled, "it's nice to hear that." I placed my half-empty wine glass on the countertop.

"Are you gonna finish that?"

"No," I shook my head, "I don't really think drinking will solve my problems."

"Unlike some people," She grunted, motioning towards an already-drunken Duke. "I don't think he'll ever learn." The redhead grabbed my glass and went to the back room, reappearing in minutes.

"You know…I was thinking of getting Mary a gift."

Ann laughed, her ponytail bobbing on top of her head. "Gonna try to cushion the blow, hmmm?"

"No, no. Well, sort of. I was thinking of getting her contacts."

She placed her elbow on the edge of the counter and leaned into it. "Huh," She nodded, "That doesn't sound half bad. I mean, I always thought Mary would like nice without those old glasses of hers. Did you know she has had those things for years now?"

"I think so too!"

"Well, it's settled then. I'll inconspicuously ask her about her prescription, give it to you, and then you can order them. You can do that, right?"

"Yeah, Ann," I rolled my eyes, "I _was_ raised in the city. I have connections."

"Brilliance!" She half-yelled, throwing her fist in the air. "Mary is going to love us!" Her cheerful mood lifted mine immensely.

Thank goodness the inn was almost completely empty.

* * *

"Here it is," Ann said, smacking a piece of paper down on the table I was sitting at. "Her prescription."

"Did she sense anything?"

"No."

"Wow, it only took you one day to get it, too!"

She smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "That's because I have skills. _Mad_ skills."

I laughed, palming the paper in my hand. "I don't even want to know what you did to get it."

She shrugged. "I asked her mom."

"Ann," I shook my head, "that doesn't take skill. That just takes common sense."

"Which I have plenty of."

Wow, she really _was_ a piece of work.

"Now all you gotta do is call it in, and apologize to her, and we can all go back to our happy-go-lucky selves. You people keep drowning me in your angst, and it's doing nothing for my karma."

"What are you talking about? I'm angst-free."

"Psssht," She sat down across from me and rolled her eyes, "paaalease, Claire. I've seen emo-people with less angst than you. And that's saying a lot, since they're _always_ feeling sorry from themselves."

How she knew how emo people functioned was beyond my knowledge. As far as I knew, there wasn't anyone who could even be considered emo in Mineral Town, except for that one boy Cliff that ran into me the first day I came here.

"Hey, Ann."

She tapped her fingers against the table, obviously bored. If she wasn't constantly doing something, she was bound to get bored to death. "Yeah?"

"You know that boy, Cliff, right?"

Her face practically lit up at the mentioning of his name. Was I sensing some feelings?

"Yeah I do," She grumbled. "But he is so shy and quiet; I just wish he would open up more."

"Why is he like that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Heck if I know. I guess he can't find work here, so he'll have to leave soon." She frowned, displeased with that outcome. "But other than that, I have no idea as to why he is the way he is."

"I'm sure he'll find something to do here."

"How's the farm?" Ann asked, changing subjects. She did it for an obvious reason, I knew.

"Eh, it's going along fine, I guess. I have a few crops growing, but that's about it."

Her eyebrow rose, and she gave me a weird look. "Summer is coming soon; don't you think you should harvest those things? I mean, I'm no farmer, but I'm pretty sure you can't grow something in the summer that is only supposed to grow in the spring. Ya know?"

"Yeah, a couple of more days and they'll be ready…I think…"

"Speaking of summer, Popuri is going to be off the wall until Kai makes his huge debut. I swear I'm going to have to take, like, a whole bottle of Tylenol just to get rid of her squeaky, child-like voice that shall reside in my mind until he leaves again."

"W...Who?"

"Popuri? Kai? She never stops talking about him, especially when summer is so close by. How he puts up with her…I shall never know…Men," She shook her head, "Hah."

Kai…_Kai_…So, so, _so_ familiar…

"That name…I've heard it before."

"Popuri? Well yeah, it's that stuff that smells good. Or smells bad, it just depends on which type you get."

"No! No! _Kai._ It's like…I know him or something…"

Ann shrugged. "Maybe you do, maybe you don't. He's a traveler, so maybe you met him in the city or something. Or Popuri pestered you about him. Either way, you're bound to know him soon."

Somehow I was thinking that I _already_ knew him.

* * *

I heaved a sigh, my hand hovering over the door knob. All I had to do was grab it, turn it, and then open the door. It was that simple…but then it wasn't. What would I have to do once I went through the opened door? Oh, right, apologize to Mary. It was going to be a dreadful experience, especially the way I kept thinking she was going to chop off my head or something.

I shuddered, clasping my hand onto the handle. I took a deep breath, and pushed the door open…

…Just in time for a book to connect with my face.

_Ouch._

"What the hell?!"

"Ohmygawsh! Claire? Is that you? I'm so sorry!"

_Wait. Aren't I the one who is supposed to apologize?_

I rubbed my sore cheek, hoping it wouldn't bruise. Why would she throw a book at me? And a rather thick one at that! _Gah! That really hurt! _Maybe I should chuck it back at her…

_**No, no, no, Claire. That would be rather rude and inconsiderate.**_

_She threw a book at me!_

_**That doesn't give you the right to throw it back.**_

_Yes it does!_

_**No, it doesn't.**_

_Oh, screw you!_

I couldn't believe this.

I was talking to myself.

Shaking my head, I closed the door behind me and picked the culprit up off the floor, my cheek still burning. Mary was blinking at me, wide eyes behind thick-framed glasses. I jabbed the huge novel towards her, very unhappy. "What is this?"

"Claire…That's a book…"

"No," I shook my head, "what _is_ this? You threw this…this _thing_ at me!"

"I didn't. I was looking for a book, and I just flung that one behind me because it was the wrong one."

I raised a brow, perturbed by the situation. A librarian just doesn't throw her books around! Aren't they supposed to be precious to them or something? Looking around, I couldn't help but gasp. Mary was sitting, her legs underneath her, in the middle of a huge pile of books. It looked as though a war zone went through the place.

"What _happened_ here?"

Mary pushed up her glasses, frowning. "I already told you, I was looking for a book and I couldn't find it."

"…Oh."

"Yes…why are you here?"

Rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly, I laughed rather nervously. I was about to spill my guts out to her, I had a right to be nervous. "I came to…apologize…and to…explain things…"

"Oh, I see. I think it's about time, don't you?"

I nodded, casting my glance downwards. "Yeah…"

* * *

I had no idea that Mary would take the news like this. How was I supposed to know that she would faint?! That's right, I didn't. And now I was standing over Mary's fallen form, trying to rejuvenate her. Thank goodness I caught her before she fell, with much straining on my part. She was pretty heavy for a petite librarian.

What was I supposed to do now? I didn't want to leave her there unattended, but I also wanted to go get help as well. I couldn't carry her that was for sure. I guess going to get help while leaving her unattended for a few minutes was my only choice. And I was going to take it.

Okay, first off, my lungs were on fire. I was never the one for running. Or huge exertions on my part. I really needed to get into shape. I mean, the clinic wasn't even that far from the library! I shook my head from such distracting thoughts, whipping the door open in record time.

Elli looked up from her desk, taken back from my sudden intrusion. I would probably look the same way if I saw some sweaty, out-of-breath blonde standing in the doorway of the door she practically tore down.

"What ever is the matter Claire?"

I took in a few shallow breaths, bending so I could place my palms on my knees. I looked up at her, my heart racing. "Fainted…Mary…Help…Needs…"

The nurse rushed over to me, concern sketched on her worried face. "What happened? Is everything all right?"

She was asking me to talk. Talking took breathing. Breathing was a little hard for me to do at the given moment. "Don't…have time. Must…help…Mary…Fainted."

"MARY DID WHAT?!"

Ow. Ow. Ow. _Ow._ That was my ear.

"Fainted."

There, breathing normal. Check.

Her eyes got huge as the information soaked in. She scampered across the room to Tim's office, yelling before she even reached the door.

* * *

Mary was still sprawled upon the floor where I left her moments ago. Her eyes were closed and she still had a look on her face that could only be classified as pure horror. Well, at least I thought so. She might have just been frowning. At me.

"Elli, give me that bottle of water," Doctor Tim instructed, firm as ever.

She hustled the bottle over to him, blushing when his hand brushed up against hers. He uncapped the water bottle and splashed it on Mary's face. She shot up like a rocket, shocked. Tim splashed some more water in her face again, just as she opened her mouth to say something.

Mary choked on the water that got into her mouth, spitting it at Tim's face, getting him soaked. Elli gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, dark brown eyes wide. I had to stifle a laugh; the way he looked with water dripping from his face was hilarious. But, yet again, very…_attractive_. The doctor looked good wet. _Real_ good.

"Mary, are you okay?" He asked, not even caring that water was dripping from his being. So professional-like. He finally took his hand and wiped his face off, much to my disappointment.

The librarian scratched her head, disoriented. "Wh...What happened?"

"You fainted," Elli responded.

"Yes, but we don't know why," Tim said. "Care to elaborate?"

Tim, aka Claire's Eye Candy, handed the empty water bottle to Elli, who hurriedly grabbed it from his hand. Mary blinked a couple of times before speaking. "Shock. I think I fainted from shock."

Claire's Eye Candy raised his eyebrows. "From?"

She looked at me, sadness evident in her eyes. I knew what I told her hurt her tremendously, but she was going to find out sooner or later. "Claire…"

"What did Claire do?" Elli asked, curious. She and Claire's Eye Candy glanced my way, and all I could offer them was a nervous laugh.

"I'd rather not say. But, I'm glad you came to my aid. Now, if both of you could take your leave, that would be wonderful," Mary said, practically pushing them both out of the library door, despite their protests.

Once the two were gone, Mary turned around and rubbed her temples, her eyes closed painfully. "I have a terrible headache."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know _what_ to say. This whole situation was just so…_awkward_. I sighed and waited for her to make the next move. She stayed in that position for what seemed like hours, making me fidget.

"Why don't you sit, Claire? We'll wait for Gray to show up. There are a few loose ends that need to be tied up."

I gulped as she made eye-contact with me. Her eyes showed no anger, no hatred. How could she not feel those things towards me? I know I would have. Water droplets fell from her raven-black hair, splashing on the wood floor beneath her. She pointed to a chair not too far from her desk. "Sit."

I did what I was told.

* * *

The past few moments I spent with Mary were hell. We didn't say a word to each other. She wrote. I twiddled my thumbs. She talked out loud to herself. I talked _to_ myself. I wanted to scream or do anything for the silence to disappear. It was eating away at my sanity.

I tapped my foot, and then sighed. I tapped my foot again, but louder this time. I was willing to do anything to not be surrounded by silence any longer. I drummed my palms against my thighs, making a really cool beat as I stomped my foot against the wood floor.

_**Tapchickchickboom. Taptapchickboom. Tapchickboomboom. **_

"Claire."

_Eeeep!_

"Please refrain yourself from making those insanely annoying sounds."

She was scaring me.

"Uhhh…o-okay."

But- _insanely annoying sounds?_ Please. Those were some awesome beats. I had rhythm. _Seriously_.

I groaned and sulked in my chair, yearning for this day to be over. I eyed the clock above Mary's head and gulped. Gray was coming at any moment. This was going to be bad, I could just feel it.

The only thing that could be heard was the sound of pencil against paper. _Scratchscratchscratch._ Mary was on a writing binge. And that sound was getting rather 

annoying. I wanted to say something, but thought against it. I didn't want her getting any angrier with me. I wanted to keep my head.

Mary began writing again, leaving me to myself once more. I really wanted to get this over with. Gray needed to get here. And fast.

My prayers were answered because the door swung open, revealing a very flustered blacksmith apprentice. He looked sad, and there was guilt sprinkled in his beautiful eyes. He didn't even notice me as he strolled over to Mary's desk, his glance casted downwards.

"Mary…"

"Gray, finally. You're here. We need to talk."

"Yeah…I know…" And he looked at me. His eyes got huge, and then his face contorted into sadness. Guilt. Regret. The way he was looking at me, I just knew that he knew what was about to happen. And why I was there in the first place.

Mary was going to learn the truth about everything, from the both of us.

* * *

**Yay! It's finally finished! Please review and let me know what you think. I love to know what you readers think and all your suggestions you have to offer. **

**The next chapter should be up in about a week or so. I don't really have anything going on except for this week, so I should be free to write in a couple of days. But hopefully I get chapter 6 posted before my birthday. It's not even a month away, so I'll try to get the next chapter written quickly. **

**Yeah, I sort of left you readers hanging, didn't I? Oooops. Oh, that reminds me. I had an idea for another Harvest Moon fic. Probably an AnnxJack fic or ClairexDoctor fic. I don't really like the doctor, but Jeannie-chan's awesome persuasion skills have been leading me to like him more. Go Jean Cooper! XD Let me know what you think, and if I do end up writing it, it won't be started until after this story is done. I like to commit all of my time and energy on one story at a time.**

**Okay, well, I am off. I hope you all had an awesome Mother's Day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**It's been a while, I think 11 days? WHOA! Hah. This chapter happens to be 24 pages long, with a total of 8,254 words! I beat my last record, go me! Thanks to Jean Cooper and Prologue for helping me, as always! You girls are really awesome!**

**Okay, so I have some news, I guess? I have a poll on my site, if you didn't already know. It's just to see who you guys think Claire should end up with. It's nothing official, but I do like to know what you readers think. I also have a ton of fic ideas. A dedicated Kai x Claire oneshot for Prologue since she thinks Kai is deprived of love in this fic so far, a Jack x Ann fic, a Doctor x Claire, or a Kai x Claire fic. Let me know which one you readers want me to work on. But I'm definitely doing the Kaire oneshot for Prologue once I get some ideas. ;D I do have Gray x Mary oneshot done, so check it out if you like that pairing! **

**Well, anyway, on to the review replies! Honestly, I'm surprised I got this many this early in the story. Thanks to all who reviewed and favorited so far. You guys totally rule!**

**Harvest Moon Lover:** Thanks! Well, here is the update!

**Kuh-Raiiizee Black Rose:** PWNGE! I love that word. ;D Thanks!

**b4k4 ch4n:** The flashback was just to show what happened afterwards. Yeah, I believe I have insomnia! It sucks so bad. Just like right now, its late and I'm not even close to being tired! Boo to insomnia! I felt bad for Gray too, but at least Claire tried to help cure his insomnia by hitting him in the head with her spoon. :3 Thanks for your awesome review, I just love them!

**Tateno Atsukino:** Yes, Mary fainted! Lol. But she won't have those glasses for long!

**final frost bite fantasy:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**smile-maker:** Lol. Ann is my favorite HM girl character as well! She is just so hardcore, it isn't even funny! But she's funny. XD She's got them mad skillllzzz! I agree, Rick and Popuri freak me out! Lol. Thanks for the wonderful review!

**Prologue:** Hehe. Kai is definitely in this chapter, but you already knew that! Insomnia! :3

**Kiminochi:** Insomnia and eye-candy make for good times, I tell you! Teehee. Thanks for the awesome review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**DoubleKK:** I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I knew what made you dislike it. :(

**Jean Cooper:** Hehe, you shall find out in this chapter, but I'm pretty sure you know all the basics! YOU NEED TO UPDATE MEMF! XD Can't you tell that I'm sending you subliminal messages? Are they working? They are proven to not work. Oh...crap.

**StarrNight:** Yes, you do sense some Kai x Claire! And you are very welcome! I hope you like this chapter just as much.

**lumanova03:** Look, I updated! :3 Thanks, but it's not my birthday yet! Soon, very soon!

**Flying Gummybears:** Gawd, I love that pen name! XD But, anyway, thank you! I really can't wait to read chapter seven. I'm so honored to have inspired you to write the beginning of it. Nah, sister, I have never watched Naruto. Lol.

**unsmiley:** You know, now that you mentioned it, I also see them chibified. When I picture Claire and everyone, I see them like, 3 feet tall! Hah! Oh, and no, she didn't have the contacts yet. She has them in this chapter, though. Thanks for the review!

**Elaine:** Oh, thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter too!

**Seonaid Mist:** I just totally lawl'd at your review! It was really awesome. But, I'm totally not evil! I swear! XD I don't really think I can write 20 pages in 30 minutes. That would take great talent that I do not have. Lol. And- what does that bit of Japanese mean in your review?

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Again, you guys seriously rule! Oh, and thanks for all the happy birthdays! It's not my birthday quite yet, I just wanted to get his chapter out before it was my birthday. It's a couple of weeks away actually. It's on the 7th of June and hopefully I have updated by then. Cause if not, that would be really bad since it's weeks away.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or the Hulk.**

**The whole hornet thing was Jean Cooper's idea. Yay jeannie-chan! And the flashback including Kai takes place towards the middle of senior year, after Gray leaves.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Well," Mary sighed, "I believe that Gray should keep away from us for a while. Don't you think, Claire?"

I looked up and blinked, confused by her reaction. She should have been screaming at us, kicking us out of her library, or telling us she never wanted to see us again. Not saying that Gray should stay away from us.

"It seems as though all of these mishaps happen to report back to the source. This is obviously Gray here."

Gray shifted his feet, fidgeting with his hands. His head was down. Perhaps he found the lines in the hardwood floor quite interesting? I didn't know, but he was acting really strange. I mean, I felt bad about all of this, but I wasn't going to act like some little kid who just got caught doing something bad.

I…felt bad for him. I really did. But it _was_ Gray who started this whole thing. I guess he did deserve it…maybe.

"Mary, maybe that's a little-"

The librarian held up her hand, silencing me. "No, Claire. He had no right playing us like that. He needs to be punished. So, Gray, you aren't allowed to talk to us for as long as Claire and I say so."

His head sulked even more, if that was possible. That _stupid_ hat obscured his face from view, and I couldn't tell what his facial expression was. Was it of sadness? Regret?

"We need to take a break from all of this madness, wouldn't you say Claire?"

I opened my mouth, only to close it again. What was I supposed to say? Wasn't I supposed to be kept from being in contact with her as well? Wasn't I supposed to be punished just like Gray? This just didn't seem right. None of it did.

"I-"

"Gray," Mary addressed, cutting me off, "you can still come to the library, but don't expect either of us to talk to you when you are here. If you run into us, don't speak to us, don't even look our way. Claire and I need to work out some things, and you don't need to mess this up, like everything else."

Gaping, I couldn't help but blink rapidly. Mary was being so mature about this. I had no idea if she was mad at me, at both of us, or just Gray. Was she mad or was she just upset?

"Got that, Gray?"

"…Yeah."

"Good," Mary said. "Now, can you please remove yourself from this establishment so Claire and I can talk about some things?"

He didn't say a word as he made his way towards the door. Without thinking, I placed my hand on his arm and stopped him. I felt his body heat radiate from beneath his dark green long sleeve shirt. A few buttons were left undone, revealing Gray's hard, chiseled chest…

_Focus. Claire, focus._

I had to know something, even if it meant embarrassment. I just had to_ know._

Dreading the answer, I asked, "Do you remember that day at the hot springs?"

Blushing slightly, he nodded. "Yes."

"I need to know. Did you…did you see me…_naked?_" I asked, whispering the last word.

He coughed. I must have caught him off guard. I saw Mary's eyes widen out of the corner of my eye. Gray and I left that day out for a reason, but I just ruined it.

Oh well.

"I…uh…um…I…," He stuttered, obviously flustered.

"It's a simple question," I stated. "Answer it. Yes or no."

It took him a few minutes to respond. He looked at me, not wanting to answer my question. "…Yes."

Heat flooded to my face and my heart started to beat faster as his answer sunk in. How could that be? I was standing behind a tree, I was shielded, I was…

…Seen naked by Gray. _Gawd._

"Oh."

Mary sat there silently, just staring at us. Gray bent down towards me, making sure Mary wasn't in hearing range. His breath was warm against my face and the smell of spicy mint engulfed my senses all over again. I eyed his hand that he laid gently on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry," He whispered, sincere.

Then he left.

I turned around, stunned. The raven-haired librarian looked at me with a shocked expression. "Claire? Did he really see you naked?"

_**OHMAHGAWD.**_

I…couldn't believe this. I-

Wait- was I…falling? I think I was. _Oh, boy._

Mary let out a loud gasp as I continued my downfall to the welcoming ground. "Claire!"

The last thing I saw was the wooden floorboards before everything went pitch black.

* * *

_Water._

_Water rushing down my face, in my nose, in my mouth. What was going on? Why was I surrounded by water? Was I drowning? Oh no! I can't be! I wasn't by any body of water, was I? No, no I wasn't! Then why does it feel like I'm drowning?_

_Hold on- I heard voices. I wasn't drowning. Thank goodness for that._

"_Do you think she'll be okay? She isn't getting up…"_

_That was Mary's voice, it had to be. She was the only one who sounded like that. Yes, Mary. _

_Save me, Mary! Don't let me drown!_

_Wait! I'm not drowning! 'Duh!'_

"_Splash some more water on her, Doctor. Maybe that will help."_

_Ugh. More water in my nose. I was going to punch the person who just did that. __**And**__ the person who __**told**__ them to do that._

_I could feel a warm hand on my cheek, despite the cold intensity of the water being splashed on me. 'Grrr…' Another round of icy cold water. I was going to choke…_

I jerked up, coughing up water. Mary was staring at me intently, while Elli and Tim sat there, eyeing my clenched fist with fright. Yeah, they better be afraid of my fist. Well, more like Elli. I wasn't about to mess up Claire's Eye Candy, now was I?

_**Wow, Claire. You just fainted and all you can think about is how attractive the doctor looks.**_

_Shut up._

"You're all right," Mary exclaimed, hugging me.

To say I was stunned would be an understatement. Mary, a good friend that I kept the truth from, was hugging me when she should have been shunning me away and yelling at me for fainting in _her_ library. I mean, I _did_ faint because of her boyfriend, mayI say_ EX-boyfriend_, which used to be _my_ boyfriend, because he saw me _naked_.

I shuddered at the thought.

"Well, at least _she_ didn't spit water on me."

The doctor's voice was rather monotone, but still had that silky, smooth tone to it. Elli and Mary giggled at his remark, but the fact was - he was being completely serious. It seemed as though he didn't have much of a sense of humor.

"It seems as though everyone is fainting today. Now, Claire, would you mind telling me why _you_ fainted?" The doctor asked, tenderly checking my head for injuries.

"Uh…."

"I wonder if it has anything to do with this library…" Elli asked, spacing out and hugging herself. Apparently she was freaked out by libraries. I mentally smacked my forehead. Who got freaked out by libraries? Especially Mary's. Did she have, like, _librariaphobia_ or something?

"She…um…She fell and…hit her head," Mary blurted, obviously feeling unconfident with her back-up story.

Doctor Tim looked up at her strangely, as though to question her, but thought against it and stood up from his crouching position. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow, looking at my head once more. "It doesn't look as though she hit her head. She would have a bump or some sort of injury there."

"Well, she fell. _Okay?_" He flinched at the harsh tone of Mary's words but finally took the hint that she wasn't budging from her story.

"Are you sure you are all right?" Tim asked me. I nodded and he flashed one more worried glance my way before he took his leave, Elli following close behind.

"Claire?"

I looked up at the black-haired librarian, startled out of my daze. She looked at me with worried grey eyes, hands clasped together in front of her. I rubbed my head, disoriented. "Uh…Uhnnn…"

"Can I ask you something? You won't faint on me, will you?"

"No," I shook my head, "I don't think so."

Mary coughed and straightened out her skirt. "Well, um. D-Did Gray really see you…_naked_?"

_Do NOT faint again, Claire. Please don't._ Okay, I could handle this. I just needed to breathe, that was all. _Breathe, breathe, breathe._

_**Deep breath.**_

_Breathe._

_**Deep breath.**_

Okay, I was fine. I could answer her question, I really could.

"…Yes, I believe he did."

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh no, Claire! How could that happen? I am so sorry!"

I sighed and stood up from my position on the floor. Brushing myself off, I said, "I…am not sure. But…I have to ask you something." I needed a change of subject, and quick.

She nodded. "Of course."

"Why did you send Gray away and not me as well?"

Mary laughed, light and gentle. I didn't really expect her to do that. "How was any of that your fault, Claire? I mean, how could I be angry about what you two had in the past? I was nowhere in that picture of yours."

I looked down at my feet. "I suppose you are right."

"I know I'm right."

I laughed.

"Good," She smiled, "it's nice to see you smile. Let's put all of this behind us, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

I heaved a sigh and slowly uncovered myself from under my bed sheets. The first of summer was today. I absolutely _hated_ summer. I was never one for the heat. Or the bugs. Or the crankiness that came with the heat and the bugs. And the work that came with the season. The heat made work unbearable. I had so many crops to plant today, including my all-time favorite fruit. Pineapple. The seeds did cost me an arm-and-a-leg, but it was going to be worth it in the 

long run. I just hope that both my pineapple and corn plants would survive the sweltering heat waves that accompanied the summer season.

It seemed as though the spring came and went rather quickly. Almost in a blink of an eye. So many things happened during that season that it wasn't even funny. Moving to Mineral Town probably wasn't the best choice that I made, but it did have its upsides. Like friends, such as Mary and Ann. If it wasn't for those two, I probably would have moved back to the city by now. But I was still here, and I was doing rather well.

And Mary's contacts came in a couple of days ago. To see her in contacts was so different than that with her glasses on. She looked completely unlike Mary. She looked…good. Mary was the "hot little librarian" as Ann had stated. It made me laugh just thinking about it. But at least Mary and I were still on good terms.

Gray was another topic that I didn't really wish to elaborate on. We saw one another a few times a day, which was inevitable since the size of this town. But he listened to Mary and didn't look at or speak to me. It made it so much easier for me to…finally move on. Or try to. I was making little progress. Moving on and forgetting Gray was going to be a long, hard journey for me to endure. How do you forget someone that you loved for over four years?

I finally climbed out of bed and stretched myself. I didn't really want to start off the day just yet, but being as it was already 8 a.m., I thought it would be good for me to finally get my lazy butt up and moving.

Once I was ready to start the day, I checked myself in the mirror that I ordered days ago. As soon as I deemed myself presentable, I made my way towards the door and opened it…

…To come face to face with a purple bandana clad tanned figure. His hand was already in the knocking position, and he had a dumb/shock look on his face.

My mouth hung open, slack from realization. "Kai?!"

"Claire?!"

_Ohmywow._

"Holy crap! It is you! Whoa, Claire! Lookin' good." He smirked and leaned against the side of my house, his body still fully in the doorway. "Long time no see."

"That's a cliché line, Kai."

"You never did write me back, ya know."

Straight to the point, as usual.

"You said you moved around a lot. Why waste my time?"

He put on a fake pout face. "Ooo…Ouch, Claire. That hurt."

I crossed my arms across my chest and stared at him. "Why are you here?"

He grinned at me, and mimicked my standing position. "Well, everyone said that a new girl named Claire took over this farm and I couldn't help but hope that it was specifically you. And, I knew you were just _dying_ to see me." He replied, dramatizing his movements as he gestured to himself.

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but laugh at his egotistical nature. I shook my head and said, "Don't get your hopes up, Kai. Not every girl turns to putty in your hands."

He smiled at me again, moving closer to where I was standing in my doorway. "Do you think you can come to the inn later tonight and have dinner with me? Ya know, catch up on old times?" Kai asked, all playfulness forgotten.

I raised a brow, seriously debating my answer. "Why?"

"Psssht," He frowned, "can't I see how my old friend is doing these days? I really haven't talked to you since high school."

"With your brain capacity, I'm surprised you remembered me."

"That's why. You were always so...I don't know, different. You weren't like other girls. That's why I remembered you. And you were always so funny when you tried to be mean to me. Just like now."

Psssht. I hated the way he always brushed my comments off like that. It irked me.

"Why didn't you just stop talking to me if I was _trying_ to be mean to you?"

"First off, it didn't work on me. I'm stronger than steel, baby," He grinned. "It takes a while for me to break. Secondly, you needed a friend."

Well, at least the last part of his answer was decent. I _did _need some stability after the…incident…with Gray.

"So, what do you say? Will you let me pay for your dinner tonight?"

I smiled and nodded. "You know what? Yeah, I will. Seven o'clock, okay?"

Kai smirked and gave me a thumbs up. "All right! Sounds good to me. See you then!"

With that, he gave me a wave and a goofy smile before walking off of my property.

Stupid Kai.

* * *

I stood up from my kneeling position, groaning in the process. Planting seeds was actually hard work. It didn't take me very long to plant all of them, though. As soon as I obtained my watering can, I started watering all of the planted seeds, making sure I gave all of them enough water so they wouldn't shrivel up and die from the smoldering hot sun.

While doing said chore, I couldn't help but think about that purple bandana wearing traveler. Kai, that goofball. He was just the same as before. The same old overly-tanned Kai from high school…

_Detention._

_That's what you get when you purposely steal a faculty member's sorry-excuse-for-a-romance novel and rip some pages out of it, stomp on it numerous times, and then proceed to throw it back at said faculty member._

_Of course, Miss Coon so deserved it. She had it coming for a while. I just never carried out my plan because of…him…scolding me for even thinking of doing such a thing. Well, he wasn't here anymore so I didn't have to listen to him, now did I? No, I didn't._

_Ever since I asked who my homeroom teacher was freshmen year, Miss Coon had been out to get me. That old woman who wore makeup like an ugly clown. Yeah, that was the one. She freaked me out to no end. If there was a way to yell at me, she found it._

_Dreading the outcome, I slowly pushed open the door labeled "Detention". Surprisingly, there were only a few people in the room and there was no teacher present. The one student that really caught my eye was the one in the back corner. His leg was hanging over his desk lazily and his arms were behind his head for support. His dark tanned skin and his even-darker short cropped hair stood out from all the rest. What was his name again? Kane? Kale? Kai? That's it. __**Kai.**_

_I walked in hesitantly, feeling all three pairs of eyes on me. I plopped myself down next to Kai and set my things down on the desk in front of me. "Hey," He popped his gum, "aren't you that Claire girl?"_

"_My name is Claire, yes."_

"_Yeah," He said, pointing an index finger at me. "You were the one who was going out with that Walters kid. For like, what? Four years? Wow."_

_I cringed and gripped the sides of my desk. Did he say that on purpose? It sure looked like that. "Correct," I said between clenched teeth._

_He seemed to sense my mood change and immediately apologized. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."_

"_It's fine," I lied._

"_Okay," He said. Thank goodness he let it go. "So what is a girl like you doing here in detention?"_

_I snorted. "You really want to know?" He nodded. Shrugging, I said, "You know Miss Coon? Well, I stole one of her novels and ripped some pages out of it. Then I stomped on it a couple of times before I threw it at her ugly face."_

_Kai blinked at me a couple of times before finally registering a good enough response. "Like, __**whoa**__, dude! You totally PWN," He exclaimed, sitting up in his desk. "Now, do you wanna know how __**I**__ got here?"_

_It really couldn't hurt to know. "Sure," I shrugged, "lay it on me."_

"_Okay, you know Mister Lancers, right? The English teacher?" When I nodded, he continued. "I shot a hornet at the back of his head."_

_I looked at him strangely. Hornet? "What's that?"_

"_You take a strip of paper and fold it at about the width of your pinky and then fold it into smaller folds until there is no paper left. Fold it in half and __**bam**__! You got an instant hornet. Combine in with a rubber band and you have the ultimate projectile weapon! Mister Lancers didn't know what hit him! Took the toupee right off of his little shiny bald head."_

_It was my turn to be amazed. And boy was I ever. "You knocked it off his head?"_

_He nodded and grinned. "Yeah. But, seriously, he needed to take it off anyway. It looked horrible."_

"_True," I agreed. The man did not know how to wear a man wig. I almost felt sorry for him, but then remembered that he was a terrible teacher and thought against it. "Hey," I said. "Why is there no teacher in here?"_

_Kai raised a brown eyebrow. "Please, are you kidding me? A teacher, at detention? No way. Whoever is assigned detention never shows up."_

"_Then how do they know if you attended?"_

"_If they say you didn't attend, you threaten them by saying you'll give them away for not showing up."_

"_So you don't even have to come?"_

"_Oh, you do. Teachers have their ways to __**know**__ if you show or not. Trust me."_

"…_Oh. Okay."_

"_Here," He motioned me closer to him, "see that scrawny blonde kid up front?"_

"_Yeah," I whispered._

"_Well, he's a teacher's assistant. More like a teacher's pet, if you ask me. He keeps track of who comes and who doesn't. If he doesn't like you or you cause trouble, he'll mark you as a no show. But you can always get out of that."_

"_I see."_

"_Oh, did I introduce myself yet?" _

_I shook my head 'no'. He really changed subjects a lot._

"_Ooo…Sorry about that. The name's Sanders. Kai Sanders." He laughed. "I just moved here this year. I'm a senior too."_

"_Well, I already know who you are, Kai. I've seen you around a couple of times." He constantly had a different girl hanging off his arm every time I __**did**__ see him. He was such a player._

"_Likewise."_

_After a full ten minutes of awkward silence, Kai finally spoke up again. "So…how are you…since…you know?"_

_I flinched at his question. Why did he have to bring that up again? How did he even __**know**__ about that? Did everyone know? Was I pitied by some? Still hated by most? His question just brought back so many emotions that I thought I was numb to already. But I guess not._

"_Ooooh. Sorry about that. Again. I need to learn how to shut my mouth when it comes to things like that. Say, why don't we hang out soon? You know, just as friends?"_

_I smiled despite my mood. "Sure…I…think…I would like that. Thanks."_

_He grinned, his white teeth sparkling against his dark skin. "No prob."_

* * *

_I was really trying not to mope around school, but it wasn't working out too well. Wherever I walked, people stared and whispered. I just didn't get why I was talked about so much. I know I was the girlfriend of the son of some multi-billionaire, but, still…_

…_It was getting on my nerves._

"_Hey, Claire! Wait up!" It was Kai. I could tell by his faint foreign accent, which I was still trying to identify. "What are you up too?"_

"_Nothing," I sulked. "Nothing at all."_

"_Still depressed, I see," He stated. "Why don't you let me walk you home?"_

_I shrugged. "Why not?"_

"_Awesome," Kai said, grinning._

* * *

"_So," I began, "What's up with this accent of yours?"_

"_Oh? Think it's sexy or something?" He asked with a smirk._

_I snorted and shook my head. "You wish."_

_He looked at me, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah, I do."_

_My heart about stopped mid-beat while my breath caught in my throat. What was he trying to say? I barely even knew him…I…_

"_Ah, just kidding Claire. If you must know, I moved here from Hawaii. My dad owned a coconut factory over there."_

_I laughed. Full-fledged, all the way laughed until I was on the ground. "A…coconut…fac-factory? Omigawsh!"_

_Wow…laughing was somehow new to me…_

"_Haha, laugh it up. It's not all that funny. I didn't __**want**__ to move there, but he made me. I did live here in the city, ya know. I wasn't always this tan and handsome."_

_Rolling my eyes, I finally managed to stop my giggle fit so I could stand up. "What happened?"_

"_The place got shut down."_

"_I can imagine…"_

"_Hey!" He half-yelled, half-teased. "That factory wasn't what you think it is. It was a factory that harvested coconuts to make cheaper products for poorer families. It just didn't work out too well, I guess."_

"_Oh, sorry."_

_Kai shook his head. "It's okay. A lot of people make the same mistake. Don't worry about it. I don't really care anyway. I don't even get why my dad did that in the first place."_

_It seemed as though he wasn't on solid ground with his father. "What happened between you two?"_

_He frowned, deep in thought. "He just didn't approve of my career choice, that's all."_

"_Which is?"_

_He frowned and shook his head. "You'll laugh."_

"_No, no I won't. Just tell me, Kai." I was curious. And my thoughts weren't lingering on a certain someone for once._

"…_Cooking."_

"_Cool. I don't really like to cook myself, but anyone who can do it is pretty awesome. I love food."_

_Kai raised an eyebrow. "Really?"_

"_Yeah," I shrugged, "really."_

"_I'll have to make you something one day, if you'll let me."_

_I smiled, a rare thing I did these days._ _It was almost foreign to me at this point in time. "That sounds like fun. Maybe."_

_He gave me a cocky smile and cocked his head to the side, studying me. "What?" I asked, quickening my stride._

_He shook his head as to get rid of his thoughts. "…Nothing. Sorry, I was just spacing out. Oh, look, we're at your house."_

_I nodded and continued towards the front door. Kai stopped at the sidewalk and waved good-bye. "Well, if you need anything you have my number."_

_Smiling again, I replied, "Yeah. I'll give you a call if I see fit to do so. Hey, where do you live?"_

"_Up the street. Do you really think I'd walk you to your house if mine was so far away?" He smirked._

_I grunted and crossed my arms across my chest, debating whether or not to stomp my foot. Kai was such a piece of work. He snickered and shook his head. "Nah, I'm just kidding with you. But I do just live up the street. Well, see you around Claire!"_

* * *

"_Yo, Claire!" _

_I stopped midstride and turned around in the middle of the hallway, spotting Kai jogging towards me. The sight of his dark brown eyes and tanned skin made me smile. "Hey Kai. What's up?"_

"_I've been thinking," He breathed, "what if I take you to the movies tonight? You never go out anymore, loner."_

_This was true. I hardly ever went out anymore. It wasn't the fact that I was moping, I wasn't really doing that anymore. I just didn't feel the need to go out and do…things. The movies did sound like fun. I couldn't even remember the last time I __**did**__ go to the movies. It was so long ago…when I was still with Gray._

_Now, now. This is Kai, not Gray. The movies would be enjoyable, not an unwanted reminder of him. I was going to go to the movies with Kai and I was going to have fun, __**with Kai.**__ Even if it killed me._

"_Sure, I'll go. But, on one condition."_

_His eyes sparkled as he flashed me a toothy grin. "What?"_

"_I need to ask you something…Why are you always so tan?"_

_He chuckled. "Is that it?" I nodded. "Well, actually, I don't really know. I mean, I wasn't tan until I spent some time in Hawaii. But when I left, my tan just never went away I guess. I'm also outside a lot, too."_

_"Lucky you. I'm always so pale. I feel like a ghost."_

_Kai gave me a smile, genuine. "Yeah, but it suits you, Claire."_

_I blushed and giggled, not used to getting compliments. Kai practically smothered me in compliments, most of which I didn't deserve. "So, are you gonna let me take you on that date?"_

_"Date?"_

_"Of sorts."_

_"O-okay, a date. Pick me up at eight?"_

_"Yeah," He grinned, "I'll pick you up at eight. Get ready to have a night on the town, Claire. This __**will**__ be the best night of your life."_

_I gave him a small smile and enjoyed Kai's company as he walked me home once more._

* * *

_"Are you sure you're ready for this?" I looked up at my mother, who was currently fixing my hair, through the mirror. She looked at me thoughtfully, with a hint of worried etched on her face. "You don't have to do this, you know. If you need more time to recover, I'm sure Kai would understand."_

_Truth was, I thought she didn't want me to go on a date with the ever-flirtatious Kai. He had a reputation to mess with more than one girl at a time, but it didn't seem as though he was messing with anyone right now. _

_"Mom, I'm…going to be okay, I think. I want to go out tonight. Don't you think I've been cooped up in this house for too long?"_

_She frowned and looked away. "I suppose. I just don't want you to rush into anything right after…what…happened." I knew my mom was trying not to mention his name, but it hurt more when she didn't even think I was strong enough to date other people. "What are you going to see?" My mother asked, changing the subject. "Anything good?"_

_"I don't know yet."_

_"Oh."_

_"Yeah," I got up from my chair, "well, Kai will be here soon. Thanks for the hair-help, Mom."_

_"You're welcome," She smiled. "You are so pretty."_

_"Mom," I frowned, "you are supposed to say that, you are my parental unit."_

_She snorted and shook her head. "That's why you have a cute guy taking you out to the movies tonight. Yeah."_

_I crossed my arms across my chest and exited my room, almost fuming. She always won._

* * *

_"Okay, what do you want to see, Claire?" We were on our way to the movie theatre and we were still undecided on the movie we wanted to watch. _

_"I don't really care. What about you?"_

_Kai turned the car into the parking lot and parked before answering. "I want to see something of the horror-slash-gore genre. But I don't think-"_

_"It's perfect!" I interrupted. "Brilliant!"_

_He gave me a weird look and raised his eyebrow. "But…you…are a girl! You're supposed to like…sappy-romance-go-cry-yourself-to-sleep movies!" He pointed a finger at me, amazed._

_I shrugged. I never really liked romance films. I was more into comedy and horror than anything. And anyway, romance wasn't something I wanted to watch at the moment. "I'm a different sort of girl. I even like video games, mind you."_

_Kai stared at me, complete admiration in his sparkling brown eyes. "Where have you been all my life?!" He exclaimed, squeezing my arm dramatically._

_Rolling my eyes, I pried his tanned hands off of my very-white skin and pinched his arm. He didn't even seem to notice. "Let's just go in, okay?"_

* * *

_"Dude! That movie was __**wicked**__!"_

_We were walking out of the movie theatre as Kai said this, enthusiastic as ever. But I had to agree with him, the movie did rule pretty hardcore. I was surprised I was able to watch since Kai kept poking and prodding me whenever a scary scene popped on the screen. He would always ask, "Is it too scary for you yet?" or "Tell me when you get scared, I'll hold you.". I would simply say, "No, Kai, I'm fine. But are __**you**__ scared yet?"._

_The funniest thing was that Kai screamed like a little girl when something popped out from a hiding place. He even grabbed a hold of me and dug his head into my shoulder like a little kid. I laughed out loud at the thought._

_"Thinking of what happened back in there?"_

_Dang, how could he read my thoughts? He was good. Real good._

_"Actually, yeah I was. I was thinking how funny you looked when you screamed like a little girl and clung to me for dear life."_

_"Hey," He almost yelled, "that was scary! You're a freak for not even being affected! How can you not be afraid of __**that**__?!"_

_I smirked and struck a pose. I was really letting loose around Kai. "I'm just not scared easily." _

_Stopping at Kai's car, I looked around when I didn't hear a response. Kai wasn't around anywhere. "Kai? Where are you?" That was weird, he was just walking next to me moments ago. Where could he have gone? Thinking he just got lost in the crowd of people behind us, I tried opening the passenger car door, but it wouldn't budge. I grunted and kicked the door, not caring if it dented it or not._

"_Hey! That car isn't a piece of crap, you know."_

_I about jumped out of my shoes when Kai placed his hand on my shoulder. My breathing quickened and my heart was racing. That small burst of adrenaline was just itching to be used._

"_What the __**hell**__ Kai! You about gave me a heart attack, you idiot!"_

_He shoved hand fist in the air and grinned. "Woohoo! Mah evil planned came through! All riiight!" _

_I gave him a questioning glare and kicked his door again. Just for kicks, and the pure satisfaction of maybe causing a dent to emerge on his little Pontiac. "What "evil plan""?_

_He laughed. "To scare you! And it __**soooo**__ worked! You should have seen your face when you turned around to yell at me! __**PRICELESS**__."_

_Kai kept going on and on about how he "owned" me and how he just "pwned" in general. While he was babbling away, I paced my hands on his arm and whispered his name._

"_Ahhhhh!" He yelped, jumping._

_Heh heh, I got him._

"_Wait, did I scare you? Haha! __**OWNED!**__"_

"_Psssht. That's __**my**__ word, you word-stealer! And pah-lease, you just awoke me from my deep thought process."_

"_You can think?"_

_"Oh ha ha, very funny Claire. Yes, I can think. Shocking, I know."_

_If he wanted a reply, I wasn't sure if he was going to get it. At that moment in time, everything around me disappeared and I couldn't breathe. Something like this couldn't happen, could it? No, it wasn't plausible. It just wasn't. But…it had to be._

_Gray was walking out of the theatre…laughing with a group of people that were walking in the opposite direction of…me._

_I barely felt Kai squeeze my shoulder as I kept staring, shocked. My feet felt like they were rooted to the spot, but that didn't stop me from moving them towards the group of people walking away. Before I knew it, I broke out into a run. I could see his shaggy reddish brown locks sway in the night breeze and his same blue eyes that I fell in love with so long ago._

_"Gray," I proclaimed as I grabbed his shoulder. "I thought you left me!"_

_But when he turned around, it wasn't Gray. Same blue eyes, same hair, but not my same Gray. My stomach did a few flip flops as the realization slowly sunk in. I must have looked like an idiot to all of his friends that stopped upon hearing me call him by a name that was foreign to them. "Pardon? Sorry, but you must have the wrong person."_

_With that, the group left, including the not-Gray, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded. I felt as though someone punched me in the gut and then threw me at ongoing traffic. My knees went weak, and I was lucky that a pair of warm muscular arms grabbed my waist before I could fall to the sidewalk. "Claire! What is wrong with you woman? Do you just run after any guy that looks like your ex?"_

_My ex. The sound of that made me sicker to my stomach. Why did I feel this way? Was this normal? I just wanted to curl up in a ball and stay there the whole night._

_"So you saw that too?" I asked, my voice barely audible. My voice sounded so distant, so different. "I-I'm not going crazy?"_

_I didn't know if he meant to do it, but Kai held me tighter against him and smoothed out my hair. "No, he did look like a lot like him…" He veered us towards his car, making sure I didn't trip over his feet. "Come on, let's get you home."_

* * *

_"Claire. __**Claire!**__" Kai shook me as he continued driving, squeezing my hand every-so-often. I didn't bother to acknowledge him. I was still too dazed to even think of responding to him at the moment._

_I turned my head to look at him. He was staring at me, and still driving! Was he trying to get us both killed? "Kai, pay attention to the road," I deadpanned. Blinking, I turned away and continued to look out the window, numb._

_Kai turned his attention back on the road. He was driving with one hand due to the other one holding mine. I stared at our conjoined hands and attempted to pull mine away, but this only made him squeeze tighter. "Claire…" He warned. "I…know that…it must hurt. To lose someone you must love. But, maybe…you can try to move on? To someone that might love you just as much?"_

_I didn't really register what he said until he dropped me off at my house. By then it was too late to tell him that no one else would ever capture my heart the way Gray did._

* * *

_"It's graduation, Claire! Aren't you happy?"_

_"Of course I'm happy Kai. It's just that…this year went by so fast. Like one huge blur, ya know?"_

_We were standing in the front of my house, waiting for my mother to come and take pictures. Our blue graduation gowns billowed in the breeze, being as that they were a little big. Kai placed his hand gently on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I have to tell you something, Claire. I-"_

_"Ooooh…Yay! You too look so adorable in those gowns! Let's take some pictures, kay?" My mom half squealed, half yelled. I swear she was more excited about this then I was. "Now, stand closer you two! Smile!"_

_**Click!**_

_Well, that was nice. I wasn't even ready and she already pressed the stupid button. My mother had no concept of picture-taking. Or maybe she was just too excited to take a half-decent photo. "No, no. Don't stand like that Kai! Move in a little closer to Claire, come on now! Don't be shy!"_

_Kai did what he was told and wrapped his arm around my waist. I really didn't mind all that much. We were close like this almost all year but I wouldn't have necessarily called us an "item". I guess we didn't need to say we were. And he knew how I felt about that sort of thing._

"_What did you want to tell me, Kai?" I asked through my smile._

_"I'll just tell you later," He breathed._

* * *

_"Congratulations, senior class of 2004! May you all be successful as you fulfill your dreams!"_

_Caps were flung into the air while cheers erupted from the crowd. I watched everyone around me as I stood from my seat. Hugs, kisses, and tears were shared; all out of happiness. I searched the mass of blue robes for Kai, who was a few rows behind me due to the alphabetical ordered seating arrangement. When I spotted his ridiculously tanned skin, I waved him towards me._

_"Hey Claire!" He half-yelled, hugging me. "We finally graduated! Seems like forever, hasn't it?"_

_I nodded, not in the talking mood. Besides, he was going to do most of the talking anyway. "What were you going to tell me earlier? Before my mother interrupted?"_

_He flinched and I instantly got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Whatever he needed to tell me wasn't good, I knew that much._

_"I-I'm-" _

_"Just spit it out!" My words came out harsher then I wanted them to be._

_"Claire," Kai sighed, "I'm leaving."_

_I cocked my head to the side, giving him a questioning look. "Well, yeah. To culinary school. Duh!"_

_He shook his head and frowned. "No, no, no. Have you ever wanted to travel the world? See new places outside the city?"_

_Oh no, not this again. Kai couldn't do this to me, too. "What are you getting at, Kai?"_

_"I'm leaving. I want to explore new towns, meet new people, all of that. I don't really want to stay here, ya know? I want to broaden my horizons, in a sense."_

_And with that, my world came crashing down on me once again._

* * *

_He leaned against his little dark blue Pontiac, crossing his arms across his broad chest. Sulking his head, he stared straight at the pavement beneath his feet, finding it quite interesting. He looked up at me after I cleared my throat, obviously wanting to get this over with._

_"You know…I never thought we would get this close. Everyone told me you were untouchable even though you were available. That Walters kid must have been real special, eh?"_

_I closed my eyes painfully and looked away. "…Yeah. He was."_

_"I figured as much. I don't blame him for being in love with you. You sure are a one-of-a-kind, Claire. You know that, right?"_

_I never knew Kai would be so open with his feelings with me. I knew he liked me a lot, but there was one small problem._

_**I didn't like him back.**_

_And I think he knew that._

_Sure, as a really good friend. But nothing more. I couldn't really see us as a couple. It would be awkward to move past the "best friends" stage._

_"Where will you be staying?" I asked, changing the subject the best I could._

_He uncrossed his arms and looked at me, sorrow in his deep brown eyes. "I'll probably be moving around a lot, so I won't be staying in one spot for long."_

_"I see."_

_"Why don't you come-"_

_I held up my hand, stopping him mid-sentence. "Please, Kai," I pleaded. "Please don't ask me that."_

_"I'm sorry," He frowned. "I'll write to you, okay?"_

_I nodded as he took me into a tight embrace. After some time, he let me go and got into his car. He started it and looked at me. "This will never change anything, 'kay?"_

_"Okay."_

_With that, he drove off, but not without squeezing my hand first, something he tended to do a lot._

* * *

_Kai was my best friend. He was the stability I was looking for after my break-up with Gray. Kai was the crutch for my broken heart. And it felt like I used him for just that, and nothing more. _

_I was disgusted with myself in every way possible. I wanted to apologize for using him for my own selfish needs. I wanted to let him know that I did love him; as a friend. And that he always had a special place in my heart._

_**But not as big as the one Gray left.**_

_Telling Kai all of this would have made me feel so much better. But, I couldn't._

_Kai was gone, and I couldn't do anything about it._

* * *

_**Hey Claire-**___

_**Didn't I tell you I'd write to you? **_

_**How have you been? I miss you so much, and it's only been a couple of weeks. I've met a lot of new people and I've learned a ton of new recipes. Is college life all it's cracked up to be? I bet you are having a great time. Say hello to your parents for me, okay?**_

_**Love, Kai.**_

* * *

_**Claire-**_

_**I know you are probably mad at me for just up and leaving. And that's probably why you didn't write me back. I know I deserve it, but I would really like to hear from you, if only in the form of a short letter. **_

_**I do move around a lot, so I might not get it. Hopefully this doesn't make you not want to write a letter as well. **_

_**I'm looking forward to hearing from you.**_

_**Yours truly, Kai.**_

* * *

_**Dear Kai-**_

_**I have so many things to tell you. I really wish I could do this in person, but apparently that won't be possible. Here goes, and hopefully it doesn't bore you.**_

_**You were there for me when I was lost, and I thank you for that. Just being with you made my day. But I just want to tell you that…I really love you as a friend…and nothing more. I hope you understand. **_

_**I wish I could have said this to you in person. And I really wish you didn't leave, to tell you the truth.**_

_**Hopefully this gets to you before you leave.**_

_**Love, Claire.**_

* * *

_**Claire-**_

_**Sorry I have to make this one quick. **___

_**I'm really glad to hear that, especially from you. And I sort of figured out that you didn't like me as more than a friend. Trust me, I do understand. I hope to see you again soon. Maybe in the winter? I don't know, but I'll visit you when I get the chance.**_

_**Kai**_

_**P.S. I just opened up my own restaurant! Isn't that exciting? And didn't you tell me that Gray moved to Mineral Town? Cause that's where I'm staying for a few days. If I see him around, I'll definitely let you know, okay?**_

_I about choked on the coffee I was drinking as I read the last few lines of Kai's latest letter. Mineral Town? He was staying in Mineral Town? And there was even a PO Box number that was stamped on the envelope. _

_I could always mail something to Gray…_

_No, that wasn't possible. He probably moved on by now. Gray didn't need me mailing him a letter a year after he left. That would be utterly useless._

_And Kai was only staying there for a few days? Didn't he open up a restaurant? I was happy for him, don't get me wrong. But don't you usually __**stay**__ somewhere if you open up a brand new business? It would be foolish to open it, and then close it to leave!_

_I would never understand Kai's logic._

* * *

I entered the inn at quarter to six, wanting to be early so I could talk to Ann. The place was completely empty, and I was thankful for it. Said redhead came barging down the stairs, cleaning anything in her path. She even dusted my face.

"Psvvsshhh," I gagged. "ANN!"

She stopped dusting my face and bit her lip. "OH! Sorry, Claire. I thought you were a picture frame! So, what brings you here? Oh. Yeah."

"Yeah," I coughed, "I always come here, but I'm meeting someone."

Her eyes sparkled. "Who?!"

"…Kai."

She scrunched her nose and crossed her arms, the feather duster in her hands hitting my nose. I sneezed as she repositioned the duster, tickling my nose once more. "Quit it Ann!" I yelled. "Anyway, Kai just wants to talk to me. We used to be good friends in high school. That's all."

"Wait- before or after Gray?"

"After."

"Ahhhhh...," Ann said, giving me a suggestive look. "Potential boyfriend?"

"No…I mean," I blushed, "I never thought of him that way."

She raised an eyebrow. "Until now?"

"Well," I said, changing subjects. "I'm going to grab a table. Bye now!"

Before I could go anywhere, she grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. And let me tell you something, it hurt like hell. Ann had hulk-like strength. Actually, she was probably **The Hulk** in disguise.

"We will talk about this later, hmmm? Sleepover sound good? Mary should come!"

She sounded too excited to refuse the offer, so I immediately agreed. I wasn't like I had much of a house to go back to. Once everything was settled, I went off to find a table while Ann went to call Mary to tell her about our plans for the night.

* * *

"Hey, Claire," Kai greeted, smiling at me as he sat down at the table. "How are you?"

"I'm good. You?"

"Okay, I guess. I've missed you."

"Likewise," I agreed. "Still have that restaurant of yours?"

"Yeah, it's on the beach here. You've been here for how long and you didn't know that?" Kai laughed.

"Sorry! I don't go to the beach too much."

He shrugged just as Ann came over, keeping eye contact with me the whole time. "What do you two lovebirds want?" She asked, winking at me.

Not paying attention to the name that Ann dubbed us, Kai replied, "I want the fried chicken. Chicken is good."

Ann rolled her eyes. "Don't tell that to Rick. He'd freak!"

Kai made of face of disgust mixed with dislike. "Rick doesn't like me too much. And I don't like him either."

"Why?" I asked, curious.

"Popuri," He said. "He thinks I'm corrupting her young, innocent mind. And in reality, I don't really like her. She's annoying."

I was pretty sure that my mouth was hitting the floor. "Popuri? As in the pink haired vampire? She's the freak!"

"Well, if you ask me, they are both freaks!" Ann added, almost choking on her laughter.

By this time, we were all laughing hysterically. Kai fell off his chair and rolled on the floor, holding his sides as he laughed. Ann banged the table a couple of times as I accidentally snorted. I never said my laugh was attractive.

After we were done with our laughing fit, Ann took our orders and left us to "socialize" as she put it. As we waited for our food, Kai and I talked about what we did after high school. I learned that he went to many different locations and learned of many cultures.

I still couldn't believe he was as tan as the last time I saw him.

"So…have you conversed with Gray yet?"

"…Yeah."

He raised an eyebrow, questioning my answer. "Bad?"

"Long story," I sighed. "A very long, _complicated_ story."

"Well, I have the time _and_ the brain capacity to understand it," He laughed. "Shoot."

But I wasn't paying attention to him. I was staring at a certain someone who was standing in the doorway, eyeing Kai and I.

And I knew _exactly_ what he was thinking.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER!**

**Heh heh, don't you just love it? I do. XD And does anyone else hate Popuri or Rick or both? Tell me in a review! We shall all vote! Maybe I'll write like, a pure fan-crack oneshot about it or something along those lines.**

**Longer chapter this time, you all know what that means! Exams are next week. Oh noezzz! I have to study this weekend which actually means - Study for like, an hour and then write! I have Monday off so I have more time to write! And next Thursday is my last day then summer break starts. Which marks the beginning of summer driving. And city rec tennis! I'm learning how to play tennis, what fun.**

**Anyway, leave a review and tell me what you think on everything! The next chapter should hopefully be out fairly soon, and maybe a oneshot? Who knows, I am unpredictable at times. XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ugh. _Finally_. This chapter gave me such a hard time; I had writer's block for two weeks. TWO WEEKS! Stupid writer's block. Work and driving class haven't been helping either. I have hardly any free time. Oh the woes of Brittanee.**

**Eh, I don't know how good it is though. It's just something I slapped together in the past three days. I actually wanted to update this on my birthday, which was the 7th, but that didn't really work out according to plan. I guess...you can read this...suckish chapter. Tell me what you think of it? Thanks. I promise to make the next one much better.**

**Review Replies! :)**

**Jean Cooper:** I have to agree, Kai does pwn majorly. But you already know who's going to be paired with him. ;D -hint, hint. nudge, nudge.-

**Killah Bunnies Rule:** Haha, thank you! Love the new pen name. When are you going to update your Graire fic?

**Tateno Atsukino:** Lol. That's okay, when I first played the game (boy version) I about peed myself when I saw Rick's face expressions. I thought he was a maniac or something!

**Prologue:** Teehee. I'll keep teasing you with Kaire. Maybe I will write a little Kaire one-shot; just for you. :P

**Kiminochi:** Awww, thanks. The Doctor is the best eye-candy, hehe. Claire seems to think so too. But Gray's way better, though. XD

**StarrNight:** I can definitely see that happening. Claire might ditch the two trouble-makers and just pursue the Doc. Lol. But I already know who Claire is going to be paired with. It's a secret, though. OMAHGAWD. You're right! :O Their relationships do remind me of the ones in Twilight! LEGASP. No, I haven't read any of your stories yet, at least I don't think so... I've been really busy lately, but I'll make sure I read them when I have some free time. :3

**SunshineGirlx3:** Thanks! Here's the update!

**Laaysa:** Kai's in this one!

**Seonaid Mist:** Lawl. :P Reno can be yours, fosho. But Vincent is definitely MINE. Leon's mine too. :3 I love his haiiirrr. So pretty and silky and...and...you know that knife fight with Krauser? Well when they jump down to the lower platforms, look at the top of Leon's hair. It turns to platinum blonde in the moonlight. Okay...I'm getting carried away here. Enough about RE4 and FF7! Lol. I love these long reviews you give me, they make my day. Or my night. Or perhaps my morning. It depends when I open up my email and read it. Hah! And expect long replies from me! Like, back to RE4 for a minute. (Teehee.) That game makes me laugh anymore. Like, when I first played it, I was so scared that I literally had to pause the game because I was shaking too much! But now I just laugh whenever something tries to attack me because they get PWNED. By me. And especially Leon. He PWNS hardcore to the max. And I love it when you get to play Ashley (HATE HER). When you go under a table and you just stand there, the monks literally go around in a tiny circle mumbling something that sounds like _moldy suv_ but really is _morir es vivir. _I bust out laughing and yell out, "Hah! How does it feel to get PWNED by a table?" The folks that are with me stare at me strangely. oo Ever play it on the Wii?

**Double KK:** Wow. Lol. I hope you aren't confused anymore! Hopefully this chapter isn't too immature either. The girls do something a little immature, and Claire freaks. But I'll let you read that. :D

**final frost bite fantasy: **Yay! Another Rick and Popuri hater! We need to stick together! Lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Flying Gummybears:** Sister! Your review PWNED. :D Those words are sexy, aren't they? And when Kai says them they are even more sexier. I wonder what it would be like if Gray said those words? I can't picture him doing that. oo Anyways, I'm really happy that I inspired you to write Chapter 6 and some of Chapter 7 of your story. I feel special. :3 Nah, don't worry about the Narute stuff. It's allll good.

**Alumia: **Haha, thanks. I hope your brain is all right!

**smile-maker:** I agree with you, Kai and Popuri do NOT belong together. But I have some good news. Kai isn't going to be paired with Popuri in this fic. I'll give you two guesses to figure out who she is. You'll never guess! Thank you for the amazing compliments, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll make sure to read the new chapter of your story soon!

**unsmiley:** Good news, Ann has another HULK moment in this chapter! :D Rick is just a plain freak, and so is Popuri. I'm glad to hear that someone else shares the same opinions! Hope you like this chapter!

**RaiKazurashi:** Glad you liked it! Here's the update!

**CherryBlossoms1994:** Well, you'll find out who it is when you read this! Here's the update.

**lumanova03:** Haha. You find out in this chapter! Hope you like it!

**b4k4 ch4n:** Yes, Gray knows Kai from high school. And he knows that Kai knows Claire and vice versa. :P Teehee, the Doc is a very good option, indeed. But, I already have a set pairing for Claire. :3

**Aya-Chan4861:** Thank you very much! It's nice to know that I kick butt. I like to think that I can, but most of the time I can't. v.v Lol.

**Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday (sweet 16, yeah!) and all who wished me luck on my exams. I passed them all and I got straight A's! Thanks a lot! :3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

**Warning: There is a tad bit more swearing in this chapter, so be forewarned! But nothing too bad to bump it up to a mature rating.**

* * *

Gray looked at me, his dark ocean blue eyes wide. I gawked at him, not really knowing what to do. Kai saw my face and scrunched up his nose, turning towards the direction I was gawking at. "What are you looking-" He stopped. "Ooooh."

I shifted in my chair, uncomfortable. "Maybe I should you know, just leave…"

"Gray!" Kai exclaimed, not paying attention to me. "Come on over here, man!" He said, motioning him towards our table.

Gaping, I gripped the edges of my seat. What the _hell_ was Kai doing? Was he trying to cause an emotional rollercoaster? "Kai," I hissed. "What _are_ you_ doing_?"

He ignored me, pestering Gray. "Come on dude! Stop acting like a deer in headlights and get your tall ass over here!"

Gray took a step forward, debating his next move. I was so close to getting on my knees and pray that he wouldn't listen to Kai and just be on his merry way. But, of course, my prayers went unanswered and he walked over to the table, fists clenched.

"I'm not allowed to speak with Claire," He said in that deep, gruff, _sexy_ voice of his. It was so different from Kai's smooth, silky tone.

Wait- _sexy?_

I needed to keep my hormones in check.

Speaking of which, said purple bandana clad traveler raised his eyebrow. "What? Not…allowed?"

I tried making eye contact with Kai, but for obvious reasons, he was avoiding it. _Just wait, Kai. Just you wait._ He grabbed Gray's arm and jerked him down in the seat next to him, which was right across from me. A look of shock and confusion ran across Gray's face. I placed my head in my palms, yearning for this awkward situation to just fast-forward.

Feeling someone tap my shoulder, I looked up to see Kai smiling down at me. "Hey…Claire," He said teasingly. What was he trying to do? "Remember senior graduation?" He whipped out, no, seriously, whipped out a picture from his back pocket.

He handed the photo to me and I snatched it from his hands rather greedily, not wanting Gray to see it. It was right before the graduation ceremony, when Kai was about to tell me the news of him leaving. We looked like we were drowning in our blue gowns and our skin contrasted so much. I looked deathly pale next to Kai's ridiculously tan skin. My blonde hair was shorter then, just past shoulder length. It was now down to my waist. Kai's arm was around my waist snuggly and my arm was wrapped around his back, holding his side. I looked…relatively happy in that picture.

Before I could say anything, Kai ripped the object out of my hand and shoved it into Gray's face. "_See?_ Doesn't she look _happy_ in this with _me_?"

I gasped as Gray's eye twitched. He grabbed the table's edge and it looked as though he was actually killing the table. Kai saw this too, and he raised his eyebrows. "Dude. What the heck is your problem? What did the table do to _you?_"

"Um…I have to use the facilities," I muttered as I rushed from the table, feeling their eyes on me. As soon as I was out of sight, I ducked behind a wall and caught my breath. Now the only thing I had to do was to be stealthy. Stealthy like a ninja cat.

Yeah, I could do that.

Oh, that rhymed.

_Now is not the time to dwell on poetry, Claire!_

I peeked around the wall to see Ann walk out of the kitchen with our chicken. Damn was I hungry. Thank goodness all of their backs were turned to me or I wouldn't have been able to do this. I didn't have trouble hearing anything, either. I was in luck.

Once Ann set the plates down, she looked from Kai to Gray, probably wondering what was going on. She then proceeded to slap Kai on the back, who in turn started coughing.

I told you. _**The Hulk!**_

"Kai! Potential boyfriend!"

He spat out the water he was drinking and put on the most hilarious shocked look I had ever seen. "Wha?!"

"Ann, what are you talking about?" Gray asked.

"Oh, it's the _Boob_," She said, emphasizing the boob part. "How nice of you to stop by."

"I live here!"

"So does Kai!" She interjected. "What's it to ya?"

"That has nothing to do with this "potential boyfriend" crap," Gray huffed out, obviously annoyed.

Was he…jealous?

Ann plopped herself down next to Kai and smiled. "Yes, Kai, the _potential boyfriend._ You, Boob, are the _ex-boyfriend_. You see?"

I couldn't believe what Ann was doing. She was ruining me, that's what! I went to step out from my hiding spot, but opted against it. I didn't feel like going back over there just yet, even though Ann was making a fool of everyone, including herself.

"Are you kidding me?" Gray asked rather snippily.

"Oh, Kai! What's the picture for?" Ann went on asking, ignoring Gray.

Kai grinned and handed her the picture. "It's right before Claire and I graduated. Isn't that cool? Her mom was the one that made me put my arm around her," He stated rather proudly. If it wasn't for me not wanting to go over there, I would have ripped the bandana off of his head and slapped him with it.

Gray was gripping the table so hard that I could even see his knuckles turn red. And that was saying a lot since I was quite a ways from the table. Why was he even sitting there, listening to that? I was mad at Gray, I really was. But I didn't think he deserved that said to his face. If it was said behind his back that would have been fine because he would have never heard it.

_Wow, that was a really mean thing to say._

Oh well.

"Why do you feel the need to talk about Claire twenty-four-seven?" Gray snipped.

I was shocked at his bitterness. Did he really have a problem with me being the topic of conversation? Apparently so.

"We're on a date…so…why not?" Kai snapped back.

Gray paled. "W-Wha? Date?"

Okay, that was it. Kai was going to seriously get it this time. We weren't on a date. He said this was just a time to catch up on things. But…he did have a point. He _was_ buying me dinner (which I wasn't eating, much to my disappointment). Didn't that qualify as a date?

I didn't really know.

I trudged over to the table and slammed my fist down, attracting the attention of the three idiots sitting there, their mouths gaping. "…I'm going home!"

"Okay," Kai grinned, "I'll come with."

"NO!" I yelled, immediately feeling bad for doing so. "I mean…no, Kai. It's fine."

"A-Are you sure?" He asked, looking a bit bewildered.

Suddenly, Gray got up, knocking the chair he was sitting on down in the process. "She said _no_. Go away, Kai!"

They stared at each other, yearning for the other to blink first. When Kai lost, he simply shrugged his shoulders and got up from the table. "Well, I'm beat. See ya later, Claire." He looked over at Ann and smiled. "I'll pay for this uneaten food tomorrow, 'kay?"

The redhead shrugged and clicked her tongue. "Whatevs."

The purple bandana wearing idiot walked over to the stairs and disappeared, leaving behind a truckload of tension. Ann stood up quickly and smoothed out her apron. When she was done, she proceeded to fix her hair, her hands never stopping.

"What about the sleepover?" Ann's question came out quietly and rather quickly, unlike Ann's way of talking.

"I just need to pick up a few things, that's all. I'll be back. And we _are_ going to talk, _Ann_."

She cringed.

When Ann cringes at what you say, then someone definitely knows you're angry. Ann _never_ cares what other people say. So in other words;

She knew that I meant business.

"Claire," Gray said rather sternly.

"You aren't allowed to talk to me, remember?"

Ann laughed nervously, slowly backing away from us. "Haha. You know what? I think I smell something burning. Yeah! Okay, see you soon Claire. Bye!" She gushed out, rushing into the kitchen before she even finished saying good-bye.

I moved to leave, but a warm calloused hand grabbed my arm, sending tingles up my spine and stopping me from moving. "Claire," He repeated. "Come on."

"What?" I frowned.

"I'm taking you home. Let's-"

"I don't think so," I intervened, trying to pry his rather large hand off of my arm. "I'm fine."

He caught my gaze and we stayed there, looking at each other for what seemed like hours. Gray finally released me from his hold and his arm fell limply to his side. "It's late and wild dogs like to roam around here. I don't want you going by yourself. Claire, _please_."

His blue eyes pleaded with me, and I found myself saying the word that was opposite of what I should have said. "Fine," I huffed, placing my hands on my hips. "Let's just go."

* * *

We were walking side by side on the cobblestone pathway. It was quite dark, the only light coming from the glowing street lamps and the bright moon. The only thing that could be heard was the scuffing of our footsteps and the light breeze that had picked up.

Gray didn't look so…tense anymore. His hands were by his sides casually, and not clenched like before. His hair that wasn't covered by his hat swayed calmly in the cool night breeze. He glanced over at me but I quickly looked away.

"So…" He sounded awkward. "…You and Kai?"

I sighed and shook my head, pictures of the stupid traveler coming to mind. "What about it?"

Gray was quiet for a few moments as we passed the winery. "Are you…are you two _dating_?"

I snorted. "No."

"But Kai-"

"But Kai nothing," I snapped. I saw him blink at me, surprised by my tone. "Kai is an idiot. Don't believe anything he tells you. He is just trying to get under your skin. We aren't dating. Okay? We were just talking about some things."

"Did you two date in high school? After I left?" He asked, the last sentence coming out in a mere pained whisper.

Gray knew about Kai before he left. He used to complain about him to me whenever he had the chance. He always told me that Kai was a good-for-nothing player who didn't deserve a girl like me.

_And I told him that he was right._

Funny how things turned out.

"I don't think that's any of your business," I replied, snippy.

His head drooped. "I…know."

We stopped in front of my house, which I was slowly growing fond of, and I opened the door. "You can help yourself in, since you seem custom to do that," I commented. He shuffled in awkwardly, following me into my one-room home. He mumbled something incoherent, which made me frown. "If you have something to say, please feel free to say it above a mumble so I can hear. You _are_ in _my_ house."

"I said…_about that_," He replied.

"About what?" I questioned, knitting my eyebrows. "Purposely trespassing into my home when I most clearly said no?"

He looked down at his feet, fidgeting. "Yeah…I'm sorry about that. It was wrong…and stupid."

"Damn right it was stupid!"

He cringed and I felt sorry for yelling at him.

Until I remembered what he did.

"Well, you can sit down until I'm done getting ready," I said, already walking over to my dresser.

I heard him sulk into a chair as I fished the necessities out of one of the dresser drawers. Once I was done packing my overnight bag, I walked over to where Gray was sitting. He was tracing odd shapes into the wood table, bored. If he was so bored, he shouldn't have come with.

"Are you walking me back or what?"

I must have scared him because he jumped in his seat. After he calmed himself, he got up and brushed himself off, as to recover any dignity he had left. Because apparently you lose some when someone scares you out of your thoughts.

Sigh.

"Ummm…uh…yeah," He stuttered, pulling his cap down to cover his eyes.

It was a lot darker outside. I shuffled closer to Gray absentmindedly. The wind had died down and the only thing that could be heard was the chirping of the many crickets. We passed the road to the blacksmith's, we weren't walking very fast.

"Grrr!"

I jumped and let out a gasp. "Gray! Wh-What was th-that?"

"It sounded like a …growl," He stated. "What _is_ that?" Whatever it was, it growled again. I grabbed Gray's arm, frightened. It sounded…scary. "It sounds like a wild dog."

"AHHH!" I screamed, jumping into Gray's arms. I wasn't too fond of dogs. They frightened me.

"Claire," He said in a hushed tone. "Don't scream like that. I know you don't like dogs, but you can't scream." He looked down at me and frowned. "I'm going to set you down now, okay?"

I nodded and he began to pry my arms from his neck, but I didn't loosen my grip. So he was stuck in a bent position, me dangling from his neck. "Claire," He whispered softly. "It's okay to let go. I won't let anything happen to you. You have to trust me, all right?"

I whimpered, but loosened my hold around his neck. As soon as I was on the ground, Gray stood in front of me protectively. There was a whimper, and he turned and patted my arm to comfort me. "It' okay, Claire."

"That wa-wasn't me, Gray. It sounded like it came from the bushes over th-there," I managed to say, pointing to the bushes lining the fence.

He nodded as he went to go investigate. I stood there, hugging my arms. I felt…vulnerable without him next to me.

I strained my eyes to see Gray bending down, searching the many bushes that lined the brown fence surrounding the town. He chuckled, which made me curious. Cautiously, I walked over and placed my hand on his back softly. He looked up and smiled. "It's just a puppy Claire. He's hurt."

I outstretched my arms, my inner-mother kicking in, despite my fear of dogs. Besides, this was a hurt animal, not a ferocious beast. "Let me hold him."

He handed me the ball of fur and stood up from his crouching position. "It was just scared, that's why he was growling. Looks like he hurt his paw, it's bleeding."

Smiling, I cradled the mass of brown fur in my arms. It snuggled against my shirt, tickling me. I giggled just as Gray's hand touched my shoulder. I looked over at him, and then back at the puppy. "Thank you Gray."

"For what?" He asked, confused.

"Protecting me."

* * *

Ann and Mary were talking quietly to each other when the two of us walked into the inn. Ann looked at the hurt animal in my arms questioningly. "What the heck is that thing?"

Mary eyed Gray and me, probably wondering what we were doing together.

"It's a hurt puppy, Ann. …And I'm giving it to Mary!"

"What?!" They both cried in unison.

I smiled, happy with my plan. "Yes, Mary cares about everything. So, why not? And besides, I'm not really a dog person. Cats are more my speed."

Fake tears formed in Ann's eyes as she fake pouted. "But…but! What about me? Why can't I have it?"

I rolled my eyes at her silliness. "'Cause you already have a cat."

"We can trade!"

"Do you really want to get rid of Butterscotch?"

Her eyes went wide. "NO!"

"Okay, then. Glad that's settled. Here, Mary!" I walked over to the still-stunned librarian and shoved the puppy into her arms. "You should name him! Well, fix him up too, his paw is bleeding."

"Uh…Okay…," She agreed, patting the animal. "I…um…like the name Alec."

"That's a great name…for a loser."

"Psssht," I waved a hand, "you're just angry that I didn't give him to you, Ann." She grinned. "The name is perfect, Mary."

She nodded as Ann frowned. "What now, Ann?" I asked.

"You have blood on you."

I looked down at my blue shirt, which indeed had blood on it. "Oh."

"It's time for Ann to take action!" The redhead shot up, grabbing me by the arm and hurrying me upstairs to her room, despite my protests.

* * *

I sat on Ann's bed in my long night-shirt, my blue shirt with the blood soaking in some sort of safe-colored bleach concoction Ann whipped up. When I asked her what it had in it, she simply answered, "Secret recipe. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." I didn't ask her about it again because, well, I didn't want Ann killing me over some stupid bleach. And _secret recipe?_ What was with that? It's not like it was some sort of meal, I definitely wasn't interested in eating it.

Mary was sitting next to me, petting the newly washed and bandaged puppy, Alec. Now that it wasn't dark, I got to take a closer look at him. He had light brown fur, with white paws. His little black nose twitched every-so-often, while his white-tipped tail never stopped wagging.

He was _cute_.

Yeah, coming from a not-so-dog lover.

Ann came back into the room, snacks in hand. "Okay, so we are going to eat until we get fat, watch late-night marathons on television until our eyes pop out of our heads, and gossip in such a way that would even make Anna proud."

Mary and I giggled as Ann dumped the "goods", as she called them, on her bed. "_Ohmigawd_ Ann! Are those double stuff Oreos?! _Those are my favorite!_" I squealed, grabbing the package of said cookies and hugging them to my chest.

The redhead laughed. "Somehow I knew you liked those."

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "How did you-"

She raised a hand, silencing me. "I know _everything_."

I shivered. The hulk on the outside, evil genius on the inside. Best definition that could describe Ann. She probably wouldn't like the hulk part. But, knowing her, she just might have loved it.

"Okay, first things first. We need to have some girl talk! I'm so sick of having to hear Cliff, Gray, and Kai talk about stupid stuff. I just might turn into a boy. Seriously."

"Ann, that's not plausible. You cannot turn into one of the male species by hearing too much so-called "boy talk"," Mary stated, using air quotes.

"You know what, Mary? No one cares! Anyway, on to more productive matters, like Kai!" Ann grinned, eyeing my reaction.

I about choked on the cookie I shoved in my mouth moments ago. What was going on in that weird head of hers? I was beginning to think she was a little…crazy…

"Kai?" Mary asked, going to push up her glasses, but soon realized she wasn't wearing them.

"_Exactomundo_."

"That's not even a word."

"Claire- It _is_ a word." I tried to speak, but she continued before I could even put a word in. "Because I said so, okay? Good. Now! What was I saying before you two _rudely_ interrupted me?"

"Kai," Mary stated.

_Yeah, thanks Mary._

"Oh, yes! Thank you, Mary. Okay, Kai! What's your input on him, Claire?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at my full mouth.

"Whaaaa?"

She shook her head and made a few 'tsk' noises. "It's not proper to talk with your mouth full. Claire- _OW!"_

The three cookies I whipped at Ann hit her right in the face, causing her to clamp her eyes shut, a funny expression flinging across her face.

_Hah. Take that, Ann._

"Did you forget about that talk we are still supposed to have, Ann?" I asked, my mouth not full of cookie anymore. "Or did that blow to the head just make you remember?"

"Are you okay?" Mary asked.

Ann snorted, and grabbed me by the shoulder, shuffling me out the door, her following. "We'll be back shortly!" Before Mary could respond, the redhead slammed the door shut."_What?!_"

_Excuse me?_ Was she just asking me that? Wasn't I supposed to be asking that question. As in _what the heck was she getting at talking about Kai?_ Or _what is wrong with you, Ann?_

"More like, what was with you earlier? Were you trying to start a fight between all three of us or what, Ann? Do you not know what is going on right now?"

"Kai and I were just having some fun…Claire-"

Fun? _Fun?_ She called _that_ fun? "Do you or do you not understand what you could have done to Gray?"

"Do you not understand what he did to you?"

Oh, crap.

She had a point there.

"I…uh-um…I…"

She crossed her arms. "That's what I thought," She uncrossed her arms, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Listen, Claire. I'm just looking out for you. What Gray did to you was…completely bogus. You didn't deserve that. At. All. Understand?"

I nodded, blinking.

"Good. We're okay then?" When I said 'yes', she continued. "Now, we are going to find out what Mary thinks of Kai," She squealed, "I just _love_ slumber parties!"

We walked back towards Ann's room, but she grabbed me by the arm, stopping me. "Oof. Ann!"

"Shhhh!" She whispered, holding a finger up to her lips. "Look."

I followed her finger to the boys' room. There was a shadow under the doorframe. I raised an eyebrow, curios. "Should we?"

The redhead nodded, already moving towards the door, making sure her feet couldn't be seen. "Say something, Claire," She whispered.

I racked my brain, thinking of something to say. "Uh…I wonder what Mary thinks of Kai…That should be interesting, yes?"

"Oh, of course." I could practically hear the grin in her tone. She placed her hand on the door knob, slowly turning it. "I wonder what…_Kai!_"

Said boy fell out of the doorway, flat on his face. I giggled at the expression he had on before he tumbled to the ground. Kai groaned and looked up to see Ann with her hands on her hips, a disapproving look on her face. He smirked, trying to look as good as possible despite his current situation. Well, it was working. "Hey ladies. What brings you here to _my_ doorstep?"

I heard a snort in the back of the room. …It sounded like Gray.

"Kai, shut up you obnoxious bimbo," Ann said. "Now, tell me. What were you doing listening on mine and Claire's convo?"

"Uh…I heard my name. The topic of your conversation must have been quite interesting, since my name was mentioned and all."

I rolled my eyes, unable to see how any girl could fall under his charms. Dumb Kai. His charms were as good as my cooking. Which was bad. Not horrible like the stories I heard about Karen's cooking. No, just bad. I probably could learn how to cook…

"So…," He rubbed his neck sheepishly, "What _does_ Mary think of me? Isn't she that one girl?"

Ann slapped her forehead. "Yeah, Kai. She's _that one girl_."

"No, no. I mean- that librarian who is super shy? I noticed that she isn't wearing glasses anymore. She's pretty hot."

Something slammed in the boys' room. Was it Gray again?

"I'll be sure to tell her that," Ann replied, playing with her ponytail.

Kai's eyes went wide. He scrambled to his feet and shook his hands in front of his face. "No, don't tell her that I said that!"

_Why doesn't he want us to say anything? Doesn't he usually tell a girl what he thinks of her whenever he gets the chance?_

"Fine. But I'm not gonna tell you what she thinks of you."

"Ann, you're evil."

"I love you too Kai."

"Oh! Claire!" The traveler waved at me, as if just noticing me standing there. Knowing him, he probably did. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." I said, snappy. I looked over at Ann. "I'm gonna go to your room now. I'm not in the mood to talk to someone who is a complete idiot."

The last thing I saw before I slammed Ann's door shut was Kai's jaw practically lying on the ground.

* * *

I was fuming. How could I be so stupid? It was Kai that I should have been mad at the whole time. Ann was just being a good friend. Kai, on the other hand, was being his stupid old self. He just had to go on and boast about our high school relationship, if you could even call it that.

Pacing, I raised my arms and let out an exasperated sigh, letting my arms fall limply to my sides soon after. Everything had to be so damn difficult. And it had to happen to me. Of course it happened to me, my luck sucks.

Mary followed me with her eyes, silently questioning my raw behavior. "Is anything the matter, Claire?"

"Kai, that _idiot_," I mumbled more to myself than anything. I turned quickly, facing the librarian. Smirking, I said, "Did you know that he thinks you're hot?"

_Haha, Kai, haha. This is what you get for messing with me._

She blushed, giggling. "Really?" She asked, eyes sparkling. "No one's ever said _that_ about me before. He _is_ quite handsome…" I rolled my eyes when she let out a dreamy sigh, she was already spacing out.

Ann came bursting in the room, her hair a mess and her face red. "_Ohmigawd_, Caaaalaaaaire!"

I scrunched up my nose, confused. "What?"

"Gray and Kai are fighting! And…and I think…it's about you! I tried stopping them…but they can definitely take a hit, especially from the great Ann…" She trailed off; amazed that someone withheld her punches.

Ann threw a mean punch.

My jaw dropped, as well as Mary's. "What?" We asked in unison.

I whipped out of Ann's room faster than you could say _**KaiandGraywereinsomuchtrouble**_ five times fast. Those fools.

I ripped their door open, intent on stopping this insane fight. "Okay," I yelled. "What is-"

They weren't fighting.

_Why weren't they fighting?!_

Kai was sitting at a table, looking bored while Gray was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. They both focused their attention on me the second I came crashing into their room, yelling. Kai cocked his head to the side, confused and Gray simply covered his eyes with the bill of his hat, not daring to look at me.

Huh.

Backing away rather quickly, I laughed nervously. "Heh heh, yeah…I'll be going now!" With that I ran out of the room, my cheeks burning.

I just embarrassed myself in front of two non-fighting boys…in my nightshirt.

Just great.

As soon as I barged into Ann's room for the second time, Mary was scolding Ann for something, but I didn't know what at the time. When Ann saw my red face she started to laugh hysterically. I could have sworn that steam was pouring out of my ears.

"You…sh-should have s-seen your face! HAH!"

I take back the part where I said I shouldn't have been mad at Ann.

"What the hell…was that for Ann?" I asked, seething.

She rolled her eyes and flicked her hand. "Psssht. Claire, you are too gullible. Really, why would they be fighting?"

"But…you…hair…punches…huh?" I stuttered, flustered and out of breath.

"I _am_ a _great_ actress, aren't I?" Ann asked rhetorically, smirking.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

I was angry that I fell for one of Ann's tricks. I should have known she would pull something like that. She was now on my list of revenge. I would get her back…somehow. If it took me a whole year to conjure up a plan to take my revenge, then so be it.

But I wasn't just going to put this behind me.

* * *

All three of us were lying on our stomachs on the floor, eating popcorn, and watching some ridiculously cheesy horror movie that we just couldn't stop watching. I couldn't even remember the name of it.

"This gore makes me laugh," Ann commented, stuffing popcorn in her mouth.

I nodded, "I know. It's so fake. You can totally tell that the blood is not real. It's like bright red and it's supposed to be a scarlet color."

"I must agree," Mary added, sitting up. "It is rather humorous in a…weird manner. I would rather do something else, though. This is just too cheesy to tolerate."

"Same here," Ann and I said in unison.

I sat up and crossed my legs Indian-style, my maroon pillow between my legs. I moved my head down, my long dirty-blonde hair creating a curtain around me.

_**Thump.**_

Mary jumped, "What was that?"

_THUMP._

The librarian whimpered.

_THUMPTHUMP._

"Eeeeek!" Mary squealed.

"What _is_ that?" I asked.

Mary scooted closer to me, clutching Alec. Ann stood up and rolled her eyes, sighing. "_**STUPID!**_"

Even I jumped at the volume of her voice. "Ummmm…?"

"It was Kai," She answered my unfinished question. "I heard him talking to Cliff and Gray about trying to scare us while we were watching that damn movie."

"You heard him?" Mary asked.

"I have _excellent_ hearing," Ann grinned.

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Don't get too carried away, Ann."

The red-head laughed, rather evilly I might add. "Wanna scare the crap out of them all?" She asked, eyes sparkling.

"How?" I asked, curious.

She smirked evilly. "You'll see."

Mary gulped and I just stared. Somehow I knew this wouldn't turn out well.

* * *

"Why are we doing this again?" I asked. My eyebrows rose as Ann stuffed ketchup packets into Mary's shirt. "This…seems a little over the top, don't chya think?"

She handed me a fake knife. Where she got it, I had no clue. I didn't really _want_ to know. "First off, it's a perfect way to freak them all out. Secondly, Gray and Kai seem to think you do nothing wrong. Kai has you like, on a high pedestal or something. This is the perfect way to make them think differently of you. They wouldn't dare think that Dear Claire would do such a thing, correct? It will be a huge shock, and maybe you'll pedestal will be knocked down a couple of inches. Isn't that what you want?"

I contorted my face into a grimace. "…Okay?"

_I guess I did…but to do this to make that happen? To get them to stop bothering me? Well, mostly Kai._

"Now, Mary," Ann grinned, "you can act the part, right?"

Said girl scratched her head, confused. "Uhhh…I guess I'll…try?"

The red-head patted Mary's shoulder. "Thatagirl."

I shifted my feet, staring at the fake piece of plastic in my hand. The fake blade would spring into the black compartment that made up the handle of this "weapon" when I pressed it against something. "What are you going to do when all of this is taking place? What does Cliff have to do with any of this?"

Ann grinned as she took a ketchup bottle from the kitchen counter and started squirting the red paste all over herself. She rubbed it on her face and arms, as well as the area around her heart. "I'll barge into the room after a few minutes and stumble around, mumbling how Claire already got to me and all that jazz. This will be perfect."

Mary giggled. "This does sound thrilling."

"_Mary!_" I exclaimed, shocked.

The girl shrugged. "Well, just think of it as payback for Gray, hmmm?"

I shook my head, ashamed. "Ann has gotten to you already, and I can't do anything about it, can I?"

Mary and Ann giggled, while I just blinked. I was being completely serious. Heck, maybe they were too. I had no clue.

This "supa-cool-totally-awesome" idea (as Ann had stated) wasn't looking too good right now. I guess we would have to see how this would turn out.

* * *

They were acting like little giggling school girls as we made our way upstairs. Ann didn't touch anything, not wanting to make a mess with the ketchup. Mary waddled up the steps, the packets of ketchup under her shirt making her top heavy. Ann went a little overboard with them.

I was still fascinated with how Mary was going along with this whole thing. _Just think of it as payback for Gray,_ She had said. This was not Mary at all. She wasn't the one for payback or pulling off a stunt that would probably mar the boys' minds for an eternity. Was she just trying to right the wrong Gray pulled on both of us? Was she just being a good friend?

No idea.

When we made it to the top of stairs, I stopped. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Mary and Ann stopped once they noticed I wasn't following them.

"Claire?" Mary whispered. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think I want to do this."

Ann sighed as quietly as she could. "Just like Mary said- think of it as payback. What Kai did to you earlier was idiotic, and what Gray did to you both was completely uncalled for. Why not take your revenge?"

I casted my glance downwards. She was good at persuading someone. No wonder Mary was going along with this whole messed up skit. I looked up at the red head, smiling. "Well if I take my revenge, you better watch your back."

She grinned. "Go for it. This town is _so_ boring; I'm in need of a good laugh."

I shook my head, not believing I was going through with this whole thing. "Let's just get this over with."

"Shhhh!!" Ann hissed, her finger to her lips. She was trying to calm Mary and me down, even though she was just as excited. "Now, you know what to do. I'll be in the other room until you guys give the signal."

We nodded and she was off, leaving Mary and I alone. After we got the laughter out of our systems, we made our way over to the door to the boys' room. I took a deep breath and whispered, "Ready?"

"Yes."

_Here we go._

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MARY!"

If the boys weren't up, they would be now.

"WELL TOO BAD FOR YOU CLAIRE!"

"How dare you steal him away from me! I hate you," I yelled, grinning.

"He's mine now and don't even think about taking him back," Mary yelled just as loud. "It's not like he would want you anyway," She added.

She was having a little too much fun with this.

"THAT'S IT!" Before I pushed her through the door, I made sure she already turned the knob. I gave her a light shove that I knew wouldn't hurt her and she carried herself the rest of the way into the room the three boys shared.

Once we were both in the room I pulled out the "weapon" and flipped the light switch on. The three boys jumped out their beds, eyes groggy.

"What the hell!?" Kai exclaimed, rubbing his eyes.

I wanted to laugh at him in his boxers, but refocused my attention at Mary, who was my "victim". "Mary here stole something of mine. I want _him_ back."

When all three of them caught a glimpse of the plastic blade I was holding, their eyes got bigger than saucers and Kai and Gray scooted closer to Mary. Cliff still stood there, shocked. "Where's Ann?" He asked frantically.

As if on cue, Ann came in the room, crawling. She was making these hilarious moaning noises that sounded like they came from a horribly cheap zombie movie. She was right though, she was awesome at acting. If I didn't know she was faking it, I probably would have thought she was really injured.

"Claire…," Ragged breath, "already…g-got me. Ru-run for your li-lives!"

With that she performed a very dramatic death scene, but not before outstretching her hand towards Cliff, murmuring his name. He blinked, mouth agape.

Before any of them could do anything else, I sprinted towards Mary, who was a few feet away from Gray and Kai. They were still shocked at Ann's supposed death. "Now it's your turn, dearie," I snickered. "This is what happens to people who try to steal what's _mine_."

_Ohmygawd, I'm sorry Mary._

I "stabbed" her soft enough not to hurt her, but hard enough to burst the ketchup packets that were under her night clothes. She was doing a very good job at screaming, making each one more painful sounding than the last. Mary was smiling at me, trying not to laugh when she was doing this, as was I.

The boys probably thought I was psycho.

After I was done "mutating" the poor girl, she clutched her stomach and went down to her knees, finally meeting her end. "Alec will never love you," She gasped, her last breath ragged.

No more Mary.

I turned my gaze sharply towards to the two boys who were the cause of this little "skit" and squinted my eyes evilly at them. They were standing there, frozen from shock; eyes wide, jaws down to the floor.

Fear me!

"YOU KILLED THEM OVER A DOG?!" Cliff yelled, obviously over the shock. "ANN!"

He was…crying?

_Ohcrap._

I stood there, blinking; the stupid grin still plastered to my face. Kai cautiously shuffled closer to me, eyes still wide. "Claire! How could you?!"

Gray ran over to the "dead" Mary and hesitantly touched her form. Cliff was mumbling stupid things about how he would never look at a dog the same way again while Kai moved closer towards me, eyeing the knife in my hands. I snapped my head in the direction of the traveler, intent on getting my revenge full on.

"YOU!"

"ME?"

"Yes, Kai. YOU!"

"Now, Claire-"

"And you!" I pointed at Gray, cutting Kai off. He jumped back, taking his hand off of Mary's back.

"Ohmygoddess. Ohmygoddess. We need to get help! I can't believe you Claire! How could you? How. Could. You?"

I was getting a headache from Cliff's ramblings. The guy was super sensitive. And I was beginning to think this practical joke was getting a little out of hand.

Just before I was able to explain, Ann picked herself up by her hands and began laughing manically. Mary took that as her cue to do so as well, leaving me to join in. When I finally did, though, the baffled men just stood there; still eyeing the blade.

"What the hell?" Gray and Kai asked in unison.

Laughter ceased.

"Ann! I'm never speaking to you again!" Cliff ran out of the room, covering his face with his palms.

"Damn," Ann muttered, following after him.

Gray frowned. "Whatever you tried to accomplish here wasn't funny at all you two. I hope you're happy. You about gave Cliff a heart attack and Kai and I here were about ten seconds away from seriously hurting you, Claire." He looked at me when he said my name, disappointment evident in his blue eyes.

Kai shook his head, disappointed as well. "I can't believe you. Why do such a horrible thing?"

Mary looked down at the floor, ashamed. I did nothing of the sort. They may have not deserved something like this to happen to them, but they didn't have the right to scold either of us for anything. I wasn't going to be ashamed for pulling a joke on them. Maybe just for Cliff, but Ann could deal with that.

"No, how dare _you!_" They both looked at me, confused. "Kai, why do such a horrible thing? Please. Why did you? You just had to shove that _stupid_ picture in Gray's _stupid_ face and brag! You're such an idiot! Words cannot describe the way I feel about you right now. I repeat, _cannot!_"

He took a few steps back and fidgeted with his boxers. "I-"

"Shut up, Kai. I'm not done," I hissed. "And Gray! How dare you judge me when you lied to me! You not only lied to me, but to Mary as well. How can you sleep at night knowing that you lied to us about something so important?"

"Claire, please. Don't-"

"Gray. _Do not_ interrupt me when I'm yelling at you. You'll face severe consequences." He closed his mouth and backed up towards Kai. "Basically, you two are good-for-nothing, low-life-scums who get a kick out of making other people's lives miserable! You two deserve each other as friends! Be disappointed in us for all I care. Because quite frankly, I don't give a crap what you two idiots think. I've had enough of both of you messing with my life."

I turned towards the door, red in the face and out of breath. "Mary, let's leave these two losers to bask in their guilt. I hope they drown in it."

With that, we left them. I made sure I slammed the door on my way out.

* * *

"Claire-"

"No."

"Can't you just talk to me?"

"I said _no_. Kai, take a hint and leave me alone for once."

I listened to his footsteps ascend the stairs to the second floor of the inn. It had been like that all week. He would beg for me to talk to him and I would simply tell him no and to leave me alone. Gray didn't even come remotely close to me. I haven't seen him since that night I finally let my true feelings pour right out of my mouth.

Was I regretful?

Hell no.

They got what they deserved.

I heard a sigh as Ann sat down next to me at one of the many tables decorating the inn's dining area. She sat her elbow on the table and placed her cheek in her hand. "Cliff still isn't talking to me."

"Don't worry, he'll come around. He's just upset."

"I hope so. I miss having actually conversations with him. He was finally opening up to me and I just blew it. What was going through my head that night when I suggested we do that?"

This was not like Ann at all. Cliff not talking to her must have really affected her in some way. "It was just a prank that got out of control. Things like that happen all the time, don't worry so much. Being a worry-wart doesn't suit you Ann."

She sighed again. "I just thought they would have reacted differently. You know, actually take it as a joke?"

"Me too." We both sighed this time. "We need to get away from this town for a little while."

She raised a brow, perking up a bit. "How so?"

"It's your birthday the seventeenth right? You'll be twenty-two. We should go to the city and spend the weekend there. Hit a couple of clubs and go shopping at the many malls there are."

She smiled for the first time this week, eyes twinkling. "Really? OhthankyousomuchClaire!" She grabbed me in a tight embrace, almost cutting off my breathing supply. When she finally let go, I was about to speak.

"Well, this way I can so get my revenge on you." She laughed. "You've been to the city?"

"Of course! Thousands upon thousands of times! This should be so much fun! I'm gonna go tell my dad right now! See ya Claire!"

I chuckled at her giddiness. This was exactly what we needed; time away from the things that were making us unhappy and stressed. Now I just had to inform Mary about our plans and convince her mother to let her come with us…

* * *

**Oooookay, I hope that...it didn't seriously suck too bad. So review and tell me what you think!**

**I also had some fic ideas! A JackxAnn fic where Jack gets stuck in the inn when a violent snow storm hits and he gets seriously sick. Ann is the one who has to look after him! Will her fiesty attitude get the better of him?**

**Annnnndddd...I was wondering what you guys thought of another fic that retold the story of Just a Memory, but in Gray's POV. I'm still working on the title, but if you readers would let me know if you would be interested in reading Gray's thoughts throughout the whole story or not. It will even cover the time frame from when he moves to Mineral Town until Claire comes four years later. **

**Wait! One more story idea! A cute, fluffy one-shot for Prologue! Kaire, since she just adores it so much. I'm still trying to figure out the main plot and such. **

**Just let me know what your input is! Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Dun Dun DUUUUUUNNNNN!!**

**Brittanee has successfully gotten off her lazy butt and actually updated! WOOOOO. After almost a month of...laziness, I give you the fruits of my labour, the longest and hardest chapter I have ever written in my life. 33 pages; 11,181 words (that's what my Word2007 says, FFnet says 11,623). But, whatevs. Who's counting? -cough- Yeah...**

**ANYWAY.**

**I couldn't have written most of this without the help of Jean Cooper, so thanks so much Val! I am dedicating this chapter to you, as you already know. XD We both think it's pretty awesome. Combining our amazing plot bunny bountiful minds together has deemed us this chapter Val, let's hope it lives up to expectations.**

**And Prologue! Your Kaire oneshot is in the works (you already know this) and it should be out fairly soon! I haven't really been in an angsty mood lately, so I haven't been writing any more of it. Yes, people, you read that right! ANGSTY Kaire oneshot! But don't worry, there shall be fluff! OMG, like, flangsty!**

**The Great Brittanee Who PWNS All has come up with her first word! It shall be dubbed -- _word numero uno_.**

**flangsty: fluffy angst.**

**Allllll right. ****Make sure to use that word from now on! It's the _flangsty_ Kaire oneshot! And that's all I'm revealing for now. Bwahahahaha!!**

**I have a few announcements to make!**

**FIRST.**

**A lot of you have been really cool about me writing Gray's POV for this story. I will be writing this for sure, but only after I have finished all of my other ideas. Such as the Kaire oneshot and my JackxAnn fic. I already have two names picked out for Gray's story; _Her Memory_ or _The Memory of Her_. I'm not really sure about either one yet so if you have any suggestions, just let me know. Thanks!**

**SECOND.**

**Review replies. I love you all for reviewing, I really do. You readers are what keep me writing; I just love to hear from you all!**

**lumanova03:** Thanks! Now that I look back at chapter seven, I'm beginning to love it!

**SunshineGirlx3: **Thanks a lot! I love Ann's personality as well. Here's the new chapter!

**Flying Gummybears:** Tough love sucks, sister. :( EVIIIIIL. But, anyway, I'm actually beginning to like chapter seven, so no worries here! Yeah- Mary, Ann, and Cliff equal LOOOOOVE. XD Thanks for the review, sis!

**Jean Cooper:** VAAAAAL! :P Without you, I'd probably still be writing this. Or not. Depends. LAWL. I present to you your dedicated chapter that I (and you) have worked so hard on. I hope you enjoy. ;D

**DoubleKK:** No need to worry about them in the city! I'm sure you'll like this chapter, I promise. Just...read it. Don't be nervous about some random guys getting the girls drunk! XD Cuz that ain't gonna happen. Lol.

**starbear264300:** Okay... o-o

**Kiminochi:** Haha, thanks for the review. Ann IS a great actress, isn't she? Yeah, I am doing all of my fic ideas, so look out for them! :P

**Tateno Atsukino:** Thanks! Here's the next chapter!

**HMGirly12:** Like, whoa dude! I'm really happy that your reviewed my story! :D Thanks so much! Ann is love, isn't she? XP I'm actually not going to start Gray's story until I'm done writing this, so...yeah... Lol. Thanks again for reviewing! It means a lot!

**smile-maker:** You'll never guess who Kai shall be paired with! Wait- yeah you will. I give pretty big hints in this chapter. I mean, these hints are HUGE. They will smack you in the face with their hugeness, they're that big! O: But don't worry, it won't hurt. ;P LAWL. Thanks so much for your wonderful review! Much more Ann-ness and silliness to come in this chapter!

**daydreaming.of.flowers:** Thank you!

**b4k4 ch4n:** Haha. Yes, I was going for the whole they're-fighting-over-Gray-but-really-it's-Alec thing. XD More Ann to come in this chapter! I'm really glad you thought it was funny. I mean, when I usually think something is funny, most of the time others don't. Yeah... Anyway, thanks for the long review as always! Here's the next update!

**soksondatree:** Wooooo! Haha, thanks a lot! Here's the new chapter!

**CakesNCrayons:** Thank you! Aw, cute name change.

**Crystalsong:** Thanks for the review! I'm starting to like the prank too! here's the new chapter, enjoy!

**CherryBlossoms1994:** I'll be writing both, so look out for them! Thanks for the review!

**unsmiley:** Ann is going to be in this chapter the whole time, wooo! And mostly in the next chapter as well! Go Ann! Boys take everything too seriously. ;P Thank you for reviewing!

**Bunnylia:** Oh, dear, please don't get into trouble for my sake, hun! But thanks for playing it dangerous and reading! Just gotta keep it on the DL. XD Ouuu! The PSP? Have you played Crisis Core yet? If you have no clue as to what I'm talking about, please ignore me. Lol.

**Flaming Black Skull:** Welcome back! Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter as much as the last!

**Lunatic.Ninja:** Aw, thanks for reading even though you haven't played the game! Which I reccommend you should, it's just plain awesome! I especially like your review; you comment on how Claire' emotions are realistic, and that's what I was aiming for. Thanks! Update Scribbles soon! XD

**Luna Ace:** Lol. Thanks! Definitely making Gray's POV story!

**Thank you all so much again! Your reviews mean so much!**

**THIRD.**

**I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about idea-stealing and plagarism seeing as me and a couple of other authors have fallen victim to it just recently. We have no idea what the rules are about plagarism and what-not with FFnet since this is fanfiction, but we are deeply upset and a little angry about this...mishap. If you readers spot anything that is similar to anything related to another author's work, please notify them immediately for they may not know about it. But please, no flaming! We want to take care of this problem as quickly and as orderly as possible. Thank you!**

**FOURTH. **

**Yeah, I know, this is a really _long_ author's note. Sorry about that, really.**

**FIFTH.**

**Has anyone noticed that I am obsessed with commas? Srzly.**

**SIXTH.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything. I don't even own a car. Or a Michael Jackson CD, which is sad because I really want one. The man rules. Nor do I own a GameCube. But I want one. But I am proud to say that I do own a copy of Resident Evil 4 for the PS2 AND the Wii. And Nick, I own him. You will learn about him later in the chapter. So again, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. **

**But, please, no stealing of the ideas!**

**ONWARDS!**

--

"SO SHE CAN GO?!" Ann's voice shrieked throughout the dining area of the inn.

I cringed at the sound, being quite close to the maker of said shriek. "Yes, Ann. Be quiet, sane people are still sleeping at this hour," I rubbed my temples. "I would be too, but you _had_ to call me for the details. …At six in the morning."

"Pffft," she waved a hand, "those dweebs can sleep through anything. Last year I banged pots and pans right in Kai's freakin' face and he didn't even wake up!"

I scrunched up my nose. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because I could."

Typical Ann answer.

"Anyway, anyway," she said, plopping herself down into the seat next to mine. "Anna said Mary could come with us to the city? _Holy crap!_ I would have thought she would have had a hysterectomy before she'd let Mary go anywhere, much less the city!"

"Do you even know what a hysterectomy is, Ann?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it has something to do with lifting too much weight or something," she beamed.

"That's a _hernia_," I corrected. "Big difference."

"Whatever! I could care less," she waved me off. "So when are we leaving?" she added quickly.

I shifted in my seat, edging away from the red-head a little bit. She was just such a…._morning_ person. "We leave tomorrow and we'll be gone for five days. It takes a day and a half to get to the city. We're staying at my parents."

"Well, I'll tell Mary while you go…do…farm stuff," she said, getting up from her chair.

"_Farm stuff_…yeah. Okay, see you tomorrow morning at eight!" I waved goodbye and Ann went back upstairs…to do whatever _she_ did this early in the morning.

--

My bag was already packed, as well as my farm chores being done. And it was only seven thirty. I was getting pretty good at this whole farm life thing, despite my hate for exertion.

So far the only thing I had to do on my farm was water my pineapple and corn seeds. I was still saving up for a few chickens and cows, which would bring in profits tremendously. 

Seriously, if I didn't upgrade my house soon, I would practically live at the inn with Ann. I loved Ann, I really did. But living with her would be bad. _Very_ bad.

I shuddered at the thought.

I sighed, tapping my fingers against the wooden table I was sitting at in my one room house. This would be the first time I'd see my parents in about two months.

And you'd think I'd be excited about going to the city.

But I wasn't.

I knew my parents would be excited to see me again. My mom would probably freak when I tell her about Kai and Gray. I didn't want to talk about this important matter with her over the phone; I wanted to talk to her about it person-to-person. Mother-to-daughter. She always knew what to do in a situation like this, so I could count on her to give me some good advice.

My mom still worked at the grocery store she managed when I was still in high school, but she was finally able to buy it from the owner a year ago. My dad quit his job at the bank, the hours being too much for him, and settled with helping my mom with the store. They were bringing in quite a lot of money, and were happy as ever. I was happy for them as well, my parents always wanted to own their own business.

"Oh Caaaalaaaaire! Open up this door before I use my super-human strength to break it down!" A sing-song voice called out from outside my front door.

Ann.

Not wanting my door torn to shreds, I yelled out a 'come in', getting up from my chair. Said red-head came twirling through the door, humming. She did a few circles around my before stopping in front of me, smiling. "Hey Claire!"

"Hi Ann. Happy birthday."

Just then Mary came through the doorway, a smile also on her face. "Hello there."

I gave her a curt wave and greeted, "Hello Mary."

She gave me a nod and walked into my house, leaving the door open. I furrowed my brow, but let the thought go.

"Sorry about this Claire, but the big bimbo followed us. I tried stopping him, but he wouldn't listen!"

The librarian shook her head. "No you didn't, Ann. You let him follow us."

"Whatever," Ann rolled her eyes, "I just don't want Kai and Claire to fight, is all."

As if on cue, Kai came waltzing through the doorway, all smiles. He leaned against the wall after closing the door, his hands fisted into his front pockets. I eyed him curiously, not knowing why he was here.

"Hey," he said, taking out his right hand to give me a shy wave.

"What do you want?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"I want you to talk to me," he answered. "Please?"

I didn't know if it was the small pout of his lips that he was giving me or the way his big, brown, puppy-dog eyes pleaded with me that did it, but I complied. "Fine," I sighed dramatically. "But you have to take care of my farm while we're away. It's real simple for someone like you. All you gotta do is water some seeds."

His eyes sparkled with accomplishment and he just brushed off my insult like it was nothing.

Dang.

"Give me a hug, too."

I could practically hear Ann rolling her eyes when she let out an annoyed sigh. "Mary and I will be waiting outside. We don't want to witness this fluff fest."

After Ann dragged a half-protesting Mary out the doorway, I looked back at Kai. "You aren't in the position to be making demands," I said, crossing my arms. "But, seeing as you _are_ going to be taking care of my crops for a few days, I don't see the harm in giving you one."

He grinned, pushing himself off the wall. "Awesome," he said, walking over to me. His tanned arms engulfed me into a warm embrace. I let out a content sigh, the smell of summer, salt, and pineapples attacking my senses. Kai always smelled good.

After some time, Kai murmured into my hair. "I'm sorry." The way his mouth moved against my head tickled, and I couldn't help but let out a giggle. He pulled away from me, his hands still on my shoulders. "Glad to know my apologies can be laughed at," he joked.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kai," I laughed again. "You just tickled me, that's all. Of course you're forgiven."

"Thanks," he smiled. "What are you gonna do about tall dude?"

I stiffened, but soon laughed it off. Did he mean Gray?

"Gray?" I asked. He nodded. "I have no idea. Maybe this little vacation will clear my head."

"I'll talk to him, if you'd like," he offered. "After all, I have superb charisma skills."

Rolling my eyes, I punched his arm playfully. "You do what you like, but don't get into any trouble. I'll hear about it all the way from my parent's house in the city."

"You're staying with Molly and Brian? Cool. Tell them I said 'hello'," Kai said, toying with his sea foam green bracelet. Wow, he remembered their names? "Is there any chance that you're growing pineapples?" he asked, beaming.

"Yup. Pineapple and corn."

"Oh! Oh," he exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. "You gonna give me one for my birthday? Are you going to be back in time for my birthday? It's the twenty-second, ya know."

I rubbed my head, getting a minor headache from all of the questions he was badgering me with. "Yes and yes."

"Woo!"

I shook my head and laughed, checking my watch at the same time. Exactly eight o'clock. Ann and Mary had gotten here early, then. That means we had fifteen minutes to get to the boat.

Kai, sensing my over reactive I'm-going-to-be-late-even-though-I'm-really-not-ness, started pushing me out of my own house. "Well, I'll see you in five days! Have fun!"

"But… Uh…"

I saw him wave me off from the corner of my eye, smirking. "Don't worry about me, Claire. I'm just gonna chill at your place 'cuz I'm that cool."

Before I could do anything else, he pushed my stunned form past the doorway and slammed the door shut.

I swear I heard laughing on the other side.

--

The waves lopped against the side of the swaying boat, making a loud _**schmop **_sound. The seagulls cawed up above, their wings flapping against the soft ocean breeze. I took a deep breath and let the salty air fill my lungs. There was a cool mist splashing up from the side of the boat, coating my skin with a light layer of dew. This was what I was doing for the past hour and a half; breathing in and out, letting the cool water sprinkle over my skin.

It felt nice.

Mary was trying to read a novel she had brought with her, looking a little green. The poor thing probably had seasickness. Or maybe it was just the fact that Zack was letting Ann steer the boat, under his supervision of course.

I looked over at Ann who had just laughed; she was smacking Zack on the back for some reason. "Wow you're funny!"

He had a grin on his face, but I could tell that the smack on his back was stinging by the discomfort lingering in his eyes. Ann and her Hulk-like abilities…

"Our love lives are pretty messed up, are they not?"

I looked to my right to see Mary beside me, looking out towards the ocean. The wind toyed with her raven black tresses, that weren't held in a braid today. She looked pretty with her hair down.

"All three of ours, yes."

She let out a sigh, silently agreeing with me. "Gray…still loves you Claire." My eyes grew wide as my body stiffened. Even though he had already told me that during the…little breaking-and-entering ordeal, it still came as a shock to me. But wasn't that what I wanted? What I needed? For him to still love me back? "I can see it in his eyes whenever he looks at you."

I looked away from her, letting my hair curtain the pained expression on my face. "I…Mary…" I looked at her. "Let's not think of boys on this trip, hmmm?" I laughed nervously. "It's Ann's birthday and she wouldn't want us moping around because of some guy. We're going to have fun."

She let out a soft laugh, so gentle and low that I almost couldn't hear it. "Of course. Boys confuse me anyway."

"Yeah, me too."

--

After a long day and a half of traveling, we were finally here. Mary and Ann were acting like little five-year-olds in a toy store. They would point at things that interested them (mostly everything) and say something like "ooooo!" or "ahhhhhh!". As for me, I didn't really care all that much. I lived my whole life in the city; it didn't really amaze me anymore. Even though I had been away from it for almost two months.

Sigh.

"Like, OMG Claire. OMG," Ann stated, eyes wide.

"Have you ever been to the city, Ann?" I asked.

"I have a couple of times when I was little. But _dang_ has it changed!"

"Yes, it has," Mary added. "Remember when we were five, Ann? When our parents took us here for a county fair?"

The red-head laughed. "Oh yeah. Good times. _Gooood_ times."

"Ann here took off by herself and our parents had almost the whole vicinity of police officers looking for her. We finally found her eating some cotton candy, riding the Ferris wheel. How she got on by herself still amazes me till this day."

I laughed. "How did she get the cotton candy?"

"Well," Mary giggled, "she _said_ she kindly asked a little girl if she could have some and the girl supposedly just gave her the whole stick of it."

"Really," I said, knotting my brow. Ann laughed next to me.

"Really," the librarian agreed. "I had asked her if it was the same girl not ten feet away crying and screaming that some big bad meanie stole her cotton candy."

"Yeah," Ann chuckled, "well, she deserved it. She stuck out her tongue at me and everything, just asking for it! She was the one taunting me."

All three of us giggled, interrupted when the taxi driver halted to a stop and telling us that we had arrived at our destination.

My parent's house.

--

"Holy crap!" Ann yelled upon seeing the giant cake my mother brought out. It was white cake, covered with white icing and little blue flowers. In green lettering it spelled out 'Happy Birthday Ann!'.

Oh, yes, I had called my mother a head of time and asked her to make it for me. A gift from all of us, I supposed. I could have bragged about my_ totally wicked surprising skills_ (as Ann had stated), but then I would have been _acting_ like Ann. That would give proof that she was rubbing off on me.

And let's just face it.

We didn't need more than one Ann in this world.

"Your friends seem very nice," my mom said. We were sitting on the back patio, eating the cake she had made. Ann and Mary were talking to my father inside. About what, I had no idea. I just hoped Ann didn't pull a Hulk move on my dad, he wouldn't take it very well. He would probably end up on the floor or something…

Crap.

"They are," I stated simply. "Ann…can be a handful at times. And Mary, well, she's amazing. There isn't a mean bone in her body."

She set her plate on the table in front of her. "Is anything on your mind, Claire? You seem…distracted, honey. Tell me what's wrong."

I didn't know what it was my mother said, but I started crying. Without saying a word she got up and came over to me. She started stroking my hair, calming me. And I told her everything. From start to finish, leaving nothing out. I was surprised she could understand me through choked sobs.

"Oh, Claire," she gave me a hug, "what have you gotten yourself into? I thought you went to Mineral Town to just…farm. Not because of him."

"I don't k-know what I w-was thinking, Mom," I said, sniffling. "What sh-should I d-do?"

Shaking her head, she dragged a chair and sat down next to me. She sighed. "Well, it's not a situation I found myself in when I was your age." I placed my head in my hands and let out a shaky breath. "But there is one thing you should know."

"What is that?" I asked.

"Do what your heart tells you, Claire. It might not be simple, but believe me; it'll all work out in the end."

I threw my head back and gave her an agitated groan. "And if I don't know what my heart wants?"

"Trust me," she smiled, "you'll know."

--

I felt a lot better after talking (crying on my part) with my mom. I was just grateful that Mary and Ann didn't see me in my weakened state, crying like that. I didn't know what I would do if they saw me, or what they would have done. Besides, it was Ann's birthday and I didn't need to taint her day with my selfish woes.

"Hey," Mary said softly. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, staring off into space. I didn't really feel like talking at the moment. I was more-or-less just staring at Ann, who was infatuated with my video-game collection. We had migrated up to my room after we talked with my parents for a little while. My room hadn't changed in the slightest since the last time I'd been here.

Not wanting to draw unneeded attention to my downed-mood, I said, "Mary. Have you ever played video games?" She shook her head. "Well now is the time to learn," I said, giving her a soft smile.

I heard Ann squeal with glee as I finally told her she could actually touch the stuff. Not like I really cared if she did either way…

--

Ah, I still hadn't lost my touch.

"Whoa dude," Ann exclaimed, wide-eyed. "How do you _do_ that?"

I shrugged. "I was born with natural video-game playing skills."

Mary smiled. "Ann is going to freak about it for a while now. She used to be the best in Mineral Town."

"Yeah, until Popuri broke my gaming system," the red-head grumbled. "She still hasn't bought me another one yet, either."

I smiled, knowing the perfect birthday gift to give Ann.

--

I was being shaken from my nice, cozy bed. I groaned, batting my arms at the culprit. "No," I mumbled, half awake. "Just a few more minutes."

"Waaaaake up!"

Groaning again, I pulled the covers over my head. No way was I getting up early. Sleeping in wasn't something I did often.

"It's almost six in the morning!"

_What?!_

"Leave me alone," I said into the pillow I was driving my head into.

I heard a sigh and then I was being shaken again. "Get up Claire, or I'll have to _force_ you up. And I don't think you'd like that very much."

My eyes went so wide that I thought they would pop out of my sockets. "I'm up! I'm up!"

I shot out of bed faster than I had expected. Ann, who was staring down at me with a smirk, laughed. "Thought so. Not get ready and take Mary and me shopping! We ain't got all day, ya know."

How those two could get up before six in the morning still amazed me, even in my half-awakened state.

--

For not going out much, Ann and Mary could definitely shop. They were off at some clothing store I couldn't even remember the name of. I was off by myself, already being done with my clothes shopping. It didn't really take me all that long to shop for clothes, I got what was necessary and left. Because, quite frankly, I hated shopping for clothes.

But, of course, Ann wouldn't have any of it and forced me to buy some things she picked out. I wasn't about to tell her that I actually thought they were cute. No, she would have had too much satisfaction with that.

And Mary, she was having a lot of fun shopping with Ann. Anyone watching them could definitely tell they didn't get out much. The last thing I saw them doing in the store was throwing a ton of different articles of clothing at the poor store clerk, wanting a dressing room ready for them. It was actually a funny site.

After telling the two girls that I was going off by myself and making sure that they weren't going to run off somewhere (even though I find that very implausible), I found myself being pestered by a very eager sales clerk in a very dead, very quiet gaming store. Except for the salesman, he wasn't quiet.

"So, have you figured out what you're looking for?" He smiled happily. "You've circled this store about five times already, ya know." He laughed when he saw me give him a weird look. "Not like I'm counting or anything."

The boy was young, that was for sure. Younger than me. He had to be at least eighteen or so. I took a quick glance at his name tag, which read, '_Hello, my name is…__**Mark.**__' _He had an unruly mop for hair, blonde and very curly. _Mark_ was skinny. And when I saw skinny, I mean anorexic skinny. The poor thing didn't look like he ate a lot.

"I'm just looking for a gift for my friend," I said. Trying to be nice to him was being an incredibly hard task. How can you be rude to someone so nice?

Nice, but _eager_. Impatient, almost.

"Really?" he asked, kind brown eyes sparkling. "Their birthday or something?"

"Yes," I replied, moving down the rows and rows of games. I was being blunt so he would realize that I didn't want to be followed.

But it wasn't working.

"Well, can I help you find something for them?"

Oh, dear Goddess help me.

"No."

"Oh, how about…"

It was probably his first day by himself, the poor thing. And I just _had__to_ come here on this very day. How smart of me.

"…I give you some suggestions?"

He was trailing behind me like a lost puppy now, weaving through rows and rows of gaming equipment. And it was seriously starting to piss me off.

"_No_. Can you, like, leave me alone?"

There, I said it. If it hurt Mark's feelings, oh well. He would get over it.

I turned around to see him staring at me like I just drove a knife through his stomach, wide-eyed. "Uh…yeah, sorry for have bothering you." he mumbled, sulking back to the register.

_He'll get over it,_ I told myself.

I sighed in relief, thankful for the silence and the alone-time I had once again. Alone-time could have its ups and downs. First off, when you are by yourself you can relish in the fact that you actually have some of your personal space back and that you have time to do what _you_ wanted, not what _others_ wanted.

Now I had time to contemplate on what has happened in the past month and a half and figure out what I was going to do about it. In my case, it wasn't a good thing. I didn't want to do that just yet. I wanted to have fun and not think about what's going to happen later on. Living my life in the present is what I planned on doing. The future is just that; the future. It would come later on and I'd figure out what I wanted to do then.

Simple.

Or so I thought.

I was now standing in front of a huge glass case filled with many different gaming platforms. Even a couple of Playstation One's and Nintendo 64's were amongst them. Wow, this store liked it old school.

Nice.

But I wanted the GameCube.

I spotted a pearly white one and silently congratulated myself. Opening the glass window, I claimed the box as my own and walked over to the register. "Can you hold this for me? I'm just going to go pick out some games."

"Yeah, whatever," Mark said.

Well if I would have known he was going to be an ass after I told him to stop following me I would have done differently.

No, no. I would have still done the same.

After much time of searching for the right video games for Ann, I finally decided on getting her Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Resident Evil 4. Yeah, she'd like the last one the best.

When Mark was done bagging my purchases, I high-tailed it out of there. He was giving me the meanest death glares of all time, and, quite frankly, it scared the crap out of me.

--

Mary ended up paying for all of Ann's clothing, which Mary said constituted as her birthday gift for her. In addition to buying Ann's things, she also bought her own. She must have had a lot of money saved.

Turned out that they also bought me some extra clothes as well. I had to admit, they picked out some cute things for me to wear. Especially this little midnight blue dress.

_Dark blue is definitely your color, Claire, _Mary had said. _You wear it well._

It was a turtleneck empire dress, about mid-thigh in length. The sleeves were long and looked as though they would fit snuggly around my wrists. It was pretty and simple, just the way I liked it.

"Mary and I got dresses too! Wanna see?" Ann asked, blue eyes sparkling.

I nodded and in no time Ann whipped out her dress first. It was a yellow bubble hem dress that was about the same length as mine. The light yellow of the dress complimented the tiny little red roses with green stems scattered across the fabric that made up the pattern. The top part of the dress was a darker yellow, as well as the two spaghetti straps. Yellow was definitely Ann's color.

Mary was a little more patient and slowly brought hers out. It was a simple, yet elegant, long sleeve gray dress. It was knee-length (she didn't like showing a lot of skin) and it was a boat-neck. It swooped down right below the collarbone; it wouldn't show too much skin. Just by holding it over her body, I could tell that the gray brought out her dark eyes, making them more of a smoldering grayish blue color.

"Oh! Aren't we going to look awesome at Kai's surprise birthday party," Ann stated excitedly.

I scrunched up my nose, confused. "Surprise party?"

Mary and Ann cocked their heads to the side. "You mean…Popuri didn't tell you? She told me she was going to tell you." Mary said. "I wonder why…"

Shaking my head, I frowned. "She didn't tell me. I haven't even talked to her since, like, a while."

"Stupid Popuri," Ann said. "She probably forgot."

I looked at the ground, "I have a feeling she didn't forget to tell me."

A hand landed on my upper arm gently and I looked up to see Mary staring at me intently. "Well now you know," she whispered softly. "Somehow I don't think she forgot to tell you either."

I gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

She returned the smile. "No problem."

Ann frowned. "For being such a small town, we sure have a lot of freakin' drama."

"True," I agreed.

"Anyway," she said. "Changing subjects! Let's go get some shoes for these totally wicked dresses that we are going to look _hawt_ in. Claire, I'll fill you in on the party info while we do so."

--

It didn't take us long to find the shoes that would go perfect with our party outfits. Mary ended up buying these little black peep-toe wedges that complimented the gray of her dress well. Ann found the perfect shoes; red peep-toe flats with a small bow on top on each shoe.

I couldn't really find any that I liked, so Ann and Mary offered to help. After much searching, they finally found the pair that went with my dress and that I actually liked. They were a pair of silver slipper flats, no back, and had little sequins and jewels on them. They were simple, but classy. I could use them to dress something up or to dress something down.

"They are so _versatile_," Ann said, laughing.

I giggled and reminded her that she still needed to let me know the scoop on Kai's party.

"Well," she said. "It's a surprise so he can't know."

"Duh," Mary and I said in unison.

The red-head waved a hand, dismissing us. "_Anyway!_ It's going to be at six o'clock sharp at the inn, so be there around five-thirty or so. Kai thinks Popuri is treating him to dinner, but really, she planned the whole party. I did too, because, well, let's face it. Popuri is a ditz. Do you really think she could handle all of the party planning by herself?"

We shook our heads.

"That's why I interfered. I wasn't going to let the bimbo's birthday be ruined because some pink haired dork doesn't know what she's doing. So, yeah, it's going to on the twenty-second. Six p.m. We get back the twenty-first?"

I nodded. "Mid-day."

"Then we're good!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Now let's go! I want to go out tonight!"

"Sure," I laughed, "we can drop off everything at my parent's house and then get ready to go somewhere."

"What's in the bag?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

I went stiff. "Uh…um…n-nothing! Let's go!"

"Yeah," Ann agreed. "What Claire said! Let's blow this popsicle joint!"

All Mary did was shrug and let out a tiny laugh as we left the mall.

--

"Where are we going?" Mary asked.

After we had dropped our stuff off at the house, we got ready for the night on the town. Doing what, we were still unsure of.

"Bowling!" Ann said loudly.

"We should go to an art museum," Mary offered.

"Dance club?" I questioned, uncertain.

"Awesome!" They both said. Ann clapped her hands together while Mary giggled softly, smiling.

"To a dance club!" Ann ordered the taxi driver as we all climbed into the back of the cab.

"Which one?" He said, his thick accent making it hard to understand him.

She looked at me for a moment and all I could do was shrug my shoulders lamely. "Uh….the closet one!"

And we were off.

--

_Club Rave._

What sort of name was _Club Rave_? Seriously. Who names a club _that_?

I sighed, shifting my weight from foot to foot. We were standing in line to get into the building, the music booming through the thick walls and slightly shaking the ground below our feet. We were very close to the front, thank goodness. It felt like hours that we were out here waiting but in reality, it was closing in on about thirty minutes.

"My feet hurt," I complained. They hurt _tremendously_. And I wasn't even in heels!

"Get over it," Ann huffed out, crossing her arms. "You don't think mine aren't? We better get in here soon or I just might have to give the bouncer a taste of his own brute medicine."

Oh good goddess she scared the crap out of me.

Ann was _angry._

Mary placed her hand on Ann's arm attentively. "I'm sure we'll get in soon. We're almost at the front, see?"

And we were. There were only a couple of people in front of us and the bouncer, with his brawn and all, was eyeing us weirdly. Well, mostly just at Ann, anyway.

When another five minutes passed, we were at the front of the line, all smiles.

"ID's please," the bouncer stated, his voice gruff.

Once we showed our ID's, we all went inside.

Flashing lights, loud music, too many people; basic definition of a dance club. Oh, and alcohol. There were a lot of intoxicated people here. Mary looked a little uncomfortable but Ann was all for it.

The red-head was already swinging her hips to the thunderous beat of the music that was playing. And by the sound of it, the song that was on at the moment was _Super Freak_.

Wow. Haven't heard _that_ one in a while.

Before I knew it, I was being pulled out onto the busy dance floor by an over-eager Ann, Mary trailing behind. Ann said something but the music was so loud I couldn't make it out.

"What?" I yelled.

"We're going to dance!" She yelled back.

Like I hadn't already figured that out.

As soon as we hit the flashing floor Ann grabbed a hold of Mary and started dancing with her. The black haired librarian was uneasy at first but after a short amount of time seeing Ann let loose, she too started to let go and have fun. I finally started dancing beside them as well, trying not to let the lights get to me. They were flashing at such alarming rates that I thought they were going to cause someone to have a seizure or something.

I didn't know how long we were dancing to the fast techno beats that were being played but they were stopped abruptly, leaving everyone on the dance floor baffled and confused. The three of us stopped our dancing and stared at the DJ who was currently lifting the microphone to his mouth.

"Heeeeelllloooo everybody! How's everyone doing?"

There were many shouts of "Doing good, maaaan" or "Awesome, now turn the music back on".

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll turn the music back on. But anyway. Tonight is eighties-slash-nineties night."

Some brave soul, or rather _drunken_ soul yelled out, "I love the eighties! Yeaaaah!"

"Me too," the DJ agreed. "Now, the dance music I'll be playing from now on will be from the eighties and nineties. Don't ask me why, I just do what they tell me. DJ JazzMaster B, comin' at ya live in Club Rave, the best dance club out there."

The feedback the man got was large. I cringed at how loud a mass of people screaming and hollering could be. After a few moments of that, DJ JazzMaster B, or whomever he was, cranked up the music once again.

_Ohmygawd._

Was the song playing what I thought it was?

_Thriller_ by Michael Jackson?

It was.

"How cool is this?" Ann asked loudly. "Michael Jackson rules! Does anyone know the dance?"

I groaned and nodded. "…I do."

Ann smiled so large that her eyes were squeezed shut. "Totally wicked! Okay, go out there and do it then!" I shook my head. "Come on, there's only a few people out there doing it! Go show them who can really dance to Thriller!"

Damn Ann's brilliant persuasive skills.

The only reason why I learned the dance was because of some high school birthday party I went to. How I still remembered it was beyond me. But I guess having a mother who was a teen of the eighties helped a bit as well.

I reluctantly made way to the center of the dance floor where only a few, maybe five or six people were attempting the _dance_.

_The dance of the Thriller_.

I had a fluttering feeling in the pit of my stomach as I positioned myself to start off at the next set of dance moves, counting to myself. When I deemed it the right time to step into the dance, I did.

The people who were failing miserably at it moved out of my way as stepped to the left, dragging my right foot towards my left one slowly, clapping my hands together when my feet touched. This was my favorite part of the dance, and I did it surprisingly well.

Out of the corner of my I could see Mary and Ann cheering me on, complete adoration in their eyes. I gave them a smile and returned my focus on dancing through the song, which was agonizingly long.

A select few club patrons who could actually pull off the dance joined me towards the end, seeking out attention. By now there were a large number of people circling around our part of the dance floor, awed.

For the big finale I swiveled around and lunged my hand forward, bending at the knees. The song ended and there was a big applause and the DJ even congratulated me on a job well done. I walked back to the girls, face red and full of embarrassment.

Ann clapped me on the back (not hard, thankfully) and said, "Claire that was _amazing!_ We should totally hold a dance contest one night. You would so win."

"Though Karen might give her a run for her money," Mary added.

The barmaid rolled her eyes. "Please. Karen dances too….provocatively. She'd rather dance in a stripper competition than a simple dance contest."

"Ann!" Mary scolded.

Said girl shrugged, deeming the subject unworthy of wasting anymore of her precious dance time. She pulled Mary onto the dance floor for the second time that night. She tried taking me with, but I told her that I had enough dancing for a little while.

I heaved a sigh, the loud music still pounding through my ears. Tingles shot down my body, stiffening me.

It wasn't because of the music. Someone was watching me.

I let out a shaky gasp as I turned around slowly, eyeing the crowd. My eyes locked with a man walking away from the bar, coming straight towards my spot near the dance floor. Actually, I really couldn't tell if he was staring at me since he was wearing these ridiculous pair of Aviator sunglasses. Why wear sunglasses in a darkened club?

_The lights might hurt his eyes, _I told myself.

It didn't help that two other men that had the same pair of sunglasses on were behind him. From where I was standing and with what little light I had when the lights flashed, I could tell that all three of them were wearing black dress slacks and black dress shirts. The man in the center, the leader perhaps, had a black bandana wrapped around his head. I couldn't really see the other two clearly, but I was sure that one was wearing a black hat.

_Freaky._

They were stopped now, searching the waves of people moving around the giant room. Without a second glance, I booked it over to Mary and Ann and quickly told them that they could find me near the bar.

Sitting near the end of the bar, I actually got my breathing down to normal. I ordered a club soda, opting not to get anything alcoholic. I wasn't much of a drinker anyway. I twirled the straw around in the glass with my right hand, watching the ice move around in steady circles as I swiveled in my seat slightly, my left elbow leaning on the counter.

I turned my head a little to get a view of the dance floor, glimpsing at Ann and Mary dancing. I was happy they were having a good time. They looked so care-free, laughing and dancing. They weren't even keeping with the rhythm of the song but they didn't seem to care. Ann and Mary were in their own little world.

My eyes widened in alarm when my gaze flickered a few feet away from the two dancing girls, towards the private booths in the back that were blocked by a giant green curtain. The same three men were just standing there, looking mysterious and…_weird_. All three of them were eyeing…_Ann and Mary_?!

One of them behind the leader (he only seemed like the leader) lifted his head and caught my gaze. At least…I think… Damn those stupid glasses.

I didn't think my eyes could get any wider, but I think they just did. My breathing hitched as all three of them were now staring at me.

_What the-_?

"Hey there, beautiful."

I turned around on my stool abruptly, glad for the distraction, and looked to my left. A very handsome young man was sitting next to me, eyeing me up and down as if I was a new car on display.

"Come here often?"

He looked to be at least twenty-three. Shaggy dark blonde hair, bright blue eyes. The man was obviously tipsy by the glassy look in his eyes.

He was staring at me, waiting for an answer.

I didn't give him one.

"I haven't seen you in here before," he added. "My name's Nick."

"That's nice," I replied, curt.

"What's yours?"

I groaned inwardly, wishing that he didn't ask me that. I didn't want to be giving out my name to random drunken strangers.

"…Jill," I lied.

"That's a pretty name," Nick said. "So, are you alone?"

"No. Are _you_ alone?"

He gave me a charming smile that I couldn't even resist. But I did, _oh_ I did. "Yeah. What're ya drinking?"

"Club soda," I stated.

"You don't drink?" he asked.

"No."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes, yearning for this idiot to just leave me alone before I would have to do something rash. "Because I would end up like you, tipsy and mindlessly flirting with people I didn't even know. Badly, I might add."

"I like a woman who speaks her mind," Nick said, his voice low and husky.

_Danger!_ my mind screamed.

"And I like a man who stops flirting with me when I obviously don't want to be flirted with."

This man, however handsome he may be, was seriously starting to tick me off. Couldn't he see that I didn't want anything to do with him? That he was annoying the hell out of me?

"Jill…you're a feisty one aren't you?" he questioned, scooting closer to me.

I was surprised he remembered the fake name I gave him.

"I am when it comes to these sorts of things," I growled. "I _need_ to be."

"What sorts of things?" Nick dared to lightly brush his fingers down my arm, stopping at the crook of my elbow and grabbing it. "I like feisty woman…"

"I suggest you take your hand off of me _now_," I stated coldly, my eyes hard.

"Or what?" he teased, his face getting dangerously close to mine, the smell of alcohol invading my senses.

He rested his palm on my leg, squeezing a little too tightly, making me whimper in response. It was probably going to leave some bruises. My breath caught in my throat and my eyes widened as he slowly moved his hand up to my inner thigh, letting it linger there. Nick was smirking, probably thinking I actually enjoyed this.

_Do something!_

But before I could land a punch, someone was already there, yelling at him.

"Back off!" a gruff and annoyed voice said. I looked up to see one of the men who were staring at me earlier standing before me. His Aviators were still on his face, blocking my view of him. I noticed that he was the one with the black hat. He shoved Nick hard, making him topple over his stool. He landed on the wooden floor with a loud _thud_.

The unknown person took my arm protectively and whisked me away towards the other men clad in all black who were just a few feet away. Once we reached them I kept asking them who they were, what they wanted, my voice shaky the whole time; but they didn't hear me or they just ignored me. We made our way towards Ann and Mary who were still dancing and the other two men grabbed them as well.

They dragged us towards the back of the room despite our protests; Ann wasn't even able to knock the man dragging her down. "Let go of me you…you wannabe rapist!" she shouted, earning a few looks from the people around us. She did a quick karate chop on the poor man's arm mixed with a loud, "Hi-ya!"

He cringed but didn't loosen his hold on her. He kept telling her to calm down and that it was all right, he wasn't going to hurt her. It must have had an effect because she immediately quieted, letting herself be carried towards a private table in the back of the club.

Mary looked alarmed, but didn't try to fight back. She was looking at the man's face, thinking. My heart was thumping loudly against my chest, my breathing was growing more and more heavy by the second, and I was afraid. And worried. Were all of these people too drunk to notice that three women were being carried away by three mysterious men? None of them even looked our way.

Once the leader found an open table, he set Mary down in a chair, the other two doing the same with Ann and I. I could hardly hear anything around me, I was breathing so loudly. Ann simply stared at the three culprits, her eyes hard and cold. She was pissed. Mary whimpered, frightened. My eyes darted from left to right, looking for an escape route. All Ann had to do…

"You girls need to seriously calm the heck down," the leader said.

The red-head sent him a death glare. I seriously thought daggers were going to shoot out of her eyes and stab the man in the chest. "Calm down? _Calm down?!_ You want me to calm down? We're being held against our will by three men-in-black wannabes! I don't think I _want_ to calm down!"

Mary opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out so she clamped it shut again.

"If we were going to hurt you we already would have. Who do you think we are? We wouldn't dare hurt a woman."

"Take your glasses off," I ordered, my voice calm and collected. I definitely didn't _feel_ that way.

The leader shrugged and did what he was told.

Saying I was baffled was an understatement. I was confused, angry, pissed-off; you named it, I was feeling it.

"…Kai?" Mary whispered.

He sighed and looked at me apologetically. "Claire, I _swear_ I wasn't stalking you girls. _He_," he pointed to the one with the black hat, "made me take him here. I just came along to…uh…uh…study the different dance patterns women could make."

I sat there, my jaw practically lying on the floor.

The one wearing the hat took his glasses and hat off, revealing none other than…_Gray_?!

"Boob what are you doing here?" Ann questioned loudly, standing up. The last one took his sunglasses off and Ann almost fainted on the spot. "_Caaaliff?!_"

"What is going on here?" Mary asked, bewildered. "I want answers and I want them _now_."

I was glad Mary took charge. I was still…sitting there with my mouth open, my eyes wide with realization. Kai looked like he was just scolded by his mother while Gray stared at me, his eyes pleading for me to look at him. Cliff went over to Ann and comforted her the best he could. He was doing a good job of doing so because she was already mellowed out and talking in a hushed tone with him.

"Well?" Mary crossed her arms. "Explain yourselves, please."

"I told you! Gray made me take him. Cliff and I just came along for the ride. That's why I'm not taking care of your farm now."

"That's not true," Gray intervened. "Kai told us that they might go to a dance club and he convinced Cliff that clubs were the perfect hideouts for perverted men. Cliff forced us both to go with him."

Kai laughed nervously. "Yeah…about that…"

"Are you serious?" I was surprised by my own voice. "How did you know we were coming here?"

"Uh…rental car…we sorta…stalked out your parent's house until you girls left," the traveler mumbled. "But Gray got all mad when I told him where you three went! He wanted to come here too!"

"Who's taking care of my farm?" I asked, ignoring the fact that Kai just tattle-tailed on Gray.

"Popuri," Kai said proudly. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't give me that look, Claire. She's perfectly capable of taking care of a few crops."

"Whatever," I muttered.

"So because of Kai corrupting Cliff's mind, you three had the brilliant idea to trail us around? For how long?" Mary sounded angry, and she didn't _get_ angry.

"We got here today," Gray said. "It was Kai's idea to stake out Claire's parent's house until you three got back."

"What the hell?! Was it Kai's idea to also dress in those ridiculous outfits as well?" I wasn't even mad. I was…annoyed.

"Gawd Claire. Yeah, it was my idea. I didn't want us getting recognized. Seriously, do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Yes, I think you're that stupid," I stated matter-of-factly.

"Well," Cliff joined the conversation. "I'm glad we tailed you. If not, that man could have seriously hurt Claire. Are you okay?" He looked at me, concern lacing his eyes.

"I'm fine," I huffed, crossing my arms. "I had it perfectly under control."

"What are they talking about Claire?" Mary looked at me, confused.

"Some guy tried making a move on her," Gray answered for me.

Ann and Mary gasped. The black haired girl covered her mouth with her hand while the red-head simply got angry.

"Men suck," she exclaimed, eyeing the three currently with us. "Most of them are just swine dressed up in men costumes."

"Hey!" Cliff looked hurt.

"I said _most, _Cliff. I didn't say you," she argued. He nodded, looking happy again. "So where is this guy?"

Oh no Ann. Please don't do anything we'll all regret later on.

"Last time we seen him he was at the bar," Kai told her, looking at me. "Are you all right Claire? You don't look so good."

I wasn't all right. My stomach felt like it was ripped out and my head was pounding. It felt as though someone jammed my head in a meat grinder. I knew my face paled excessively due to the stares I was getting from the five standing there next to me.

But I wasn't looking at them.

I was looking at Nick who was eyeing me from the entrance of the private area, looking a lot drunker than I remembered. He strolled over to where we all were, a smirk plastered on his handsome face.

Was he _stupid?_

He must have drunk a lot more than I had thought, since he was coming over where I was sitting. Didn't he see the four (Ann being the fourth) very strong, very capable people behind me? This guy didn't give up easily, it seemed.

"Hey, Jill," he said, staggering up to me. I felt Gray stiffen and hover over me protectively.

I stood up and gave Nick a smile which earned me a cocky grin. "Hello, Nick." It pained me to say that. To even smile at him made me sick.

Without warning I kneed him in the groin. _Hard_. He doubled over in pain, gasping for breath.

"Ughn…you bi-"

Kai shook his head. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. That's no way to treat a lady, _Nick_."

I felt Gray grab me by the shoulders gently and start pushing me towards the front of the private room, Cliff, Ann, and Mary following. As Gray pulled me through the green curtain I heard a loud _crack_ above the blaring music that had just entered my ears and I just knew that Kai broke the man's nose.

--

We shuffled over to the little green rental car in a parking lot a block away from the club. Kai had caught up to us about a half a block ago and was now walking next to Mary, whispering to her quietly. Gray had let me go once we were out of the club but I was still clinging to him like my life depended on it. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I was practically numb. The only thing I could really pay attention to was the soothing circles Gray was tracing into my back with his palm, relaxing me.

I took a deep breath as Gray helped me into the car. We were going to have a hell of a time getting all six of us in this tiny dark green Honda. After about five minutes of fussing, we finally had it organized. Kai was driving, Mary in the passenger seat, Cliff, Ann, and Gray sitting in the back and I was left to sit on someone's lap.

Oh well, it wasn't that long of a ride to my parent's house anyway; I could deal.

"I'm sitting on Ann's lap," I said as Gray sat down next to said red-head.

"Ugh, you have a boney butt."

"Oh thanks Ann," I pouted. I tried climbing over Gray to get to Ann anyway but to my surprise Gray pulled me down into his lap instead. I heard Ann snicker and I couldn't help but flush red in the face.

Mary turned her head around the passenger seat and looked at me, smiling. "How are you doing Claire?" There was evident concern in her voice.

"Yeah, how _are_ you doing Claire?" Ann added. "By the way, loved the kick to the groin back there. Utter brilliance."

I laughed. It was a hollow laugh, void of any emotion. "I'm fine."

"Hmmm…," Kai made eye contact with me through the rear-view mirror, "you don't _look_ fine."

"Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. It's over with; let's just put all of this behind us. I'm sure it won't ever happen again."

My leg was throbbing. I could already feel the bruises forming. Stupid drunken Nick.

Alcohol did horrible things to a person.

--

As we stumbled into my parent's living room I glanced at the clock to see that it was only ten o'clock at night. That meant my mom was still up and my dad was sleeping. She was probably reading in the small study we had leading off of the living room.

"…You better not have brought boys back from wherever you girls went!" my mother exclaimed walking out of the study, large book in hand. She stared at the six of us, wide-eyed. "Oh…um…oh."

"Hey Molly," Kai greeted, smiling.

"Uhhh…," she babbled, shocked. "What the heck?!"

My mother was staring at me and how I was clutching Gray with all my might. I hadn't let him go since _Club Rave_.

"…Hello Mom," I whispered. "Sorry about the…intrusion on the guys' parts."

"Gray?! Kai?! I thought you two looked familiar! Oh…my… Oh my…," she trailed off, dropping her book to the floor with a muffled _thump_. "Wow…well…I'll…let you all get…situated…but Claire, I want to talk to you. _Alone_."

I inwardly groaned. I wasn't in the mood to explain what had happened right now. I wanted sleep. And I wanted it now.

Once the other five was up in my room, my mother confronted me. "What's going on Claire Anastasia Rose Bradley?"

I cringed at the full name my mother called me. _Claire Anastasia_. Ugh. What was the point of having two names for your first name anyway? It was stupid.

"A lot of things."

"Do you mind explaining?"

And I did. I even told her the part about Nick, much to my resentment. I didn't really want her worrying about things like that.

"Oh Claire honey! Are you all right? I'm so sorry for being such a bitch to you earlier."

I laughed. "It's fine mom. And I'm getting better now."

She gave me a hug, patting my back gently. "Did that man…_hurt_ you? Because if he did…I swear I'll hunt him down and severely hurt him."

"I think he bruised my leg but nothing too bad, Mom," I breathed. "Gray got there just in time."

"Good. I'll have to thank him tomorrow morning before you guys leave."

"Kai broke his nose," I added.

She giggled. "Hahaha. Serves the man right. He was messing with the wrong girl."

"Yeah he was," I said. "Well I'm gonna go up and join the others. Love you mom, night."

After she told me that she loved me to, I climbed the stairs and entered my room. Kai was lounging on my bed, his arms behind his head for support and his leg dangling off the side. Ann and Mary were comparing their purchases and Cliff was stuck complimenting each thing Ann brought out. I didn't think he minded, though. Gray was nowhere to be found.

I walked over to Kai and touched his leg gently. He opened his eyes and smiled up at me. "Where's Gray?" I asked.

"Bathroom. Said something about calling his mom or whatever. I let him use my cell."

"Oh."

"Yeah," he sat up. "Listen. Are you okay? I mean, you look a lot better than earlier. But, really, are you okay?"

I gave him a genuine smile. I was doing fine, really. I was actually starting to calm down. "Yeah, I'm gonna be all right, I think. Don't worry."

"Good," he grinned.

Just then Gray came walking through the door, looking unhappy. He glanced my way but as soon as our eyes met I blushed and turned my head, not wanting to lock eyes with him. I was still…trying to sort some things out with him and I wasn't ready to start talking to him just yet. I hadn't even said a word to him the whole night.

He handed Kai his cell phone back and sat at my desk, silent.

"Hey Claire! What's in the bag?" Ann questioned, giddy as ever.

She was pointing at the bag in which her birthday gift was in. I gave her a smile and shrugged. "Find out yourself. It's _your_ birthday gift, after all."

Ann squealed like a little school girl as she ripped the bag apart in search of her present.

"_OHMAHGAWD._" Her eyes went wide with delight as she laid them upon the pearly white GameCube. Mary giggled at her reaction. "ThankyousomuchClaire! I _love_ it."

"There's more," I told her.

"Really?" she asked, looking at me. Her blue eyes were sparkling with awe. "Awesome!" She pulled the three games out of the ripped up bag and stared at them as if they were going to magically combust in her hands.

I laughed as she hugged the games to her chest. She eyed each one and her eyes lingered on the one I knew she would like best. "Resident Evil 4?" she asked, confused. "I've heard of Animal Crossing and Smash Bros. but never Resident Evil 4."

"You shoot things," I commented. Ann jumped up without hesitation and engulfed me in a huge bear hug, giggling the whole time. "Can't…breathe…Ann…!" I managed to get out before she released me.

"Eeee! I love you Claire! You're the best!"

"We should play," Kai said.

"Yeah, there're four controllers. I've been dying to play Super Smash Bros," I said, my breathing gone back to normal.

"Totally," Ann gushed. "I say Mary should play first. Me, Cliff, Mary, and Claire play and whoever wins gets to pick who plays with them."

Kai scoffed jokingly. "Ann I thought you loved me."

"Get over it Kai. You'll be playing soon enough," she retorted. "Now let's fight!"

--

"Gaaaah! I hate you!"

"I thought you loved me, Ann," I smiled.

She laughed. "I do! But I hate it when you win!"

"You even won against all of the guys," Mary commented, earning a frown from Ann.

"Just because we're girls doesn't mean we can't beat guys' butts at video games. Seriously, Claire here is a prime example of a gamer girl. She can kick anyone's butt at any video game, no matter gender and-or race."

"Wow Ann," Kai whistled, "that was deep."

The red-head bowed. "Thank you, thank you very much."

"What time is it?" Gray asked, his voice gruff as usual.

Ann rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "Geez, Gray. Gotta rain down on my parade, now don't chya? Anyway, it's like…eleven thirty."

"I'm not tired," Mary said. "That's surprising."

"Either am I." Surprisingly all five of us said that at the same time.

"Oh! Oh! Can we try that Resident Evil game or whatever?" Ann beamed.

I shrugged. "I don't see why not, it's your game. We'll have to take turns though, since it's only a one-player game."

--

"That's the protagonist?" Ann asked loudly upon starting the game. "Holy goddess! He is _hot!_"

"Hmph," Cliff huffed, obviously annoyed. "He's a video game character, Ann."

"Pffft," she waved him off, "oh well. Nice pick, Claire." The red-head winked at me.

I actually liked playing the game. Everyone was pretty good at it, excluding Mary. She was too scared to even pick up the controller. It wasn't all that scary, but the constant supply of people jumping out at you and sneaking up behind you gave you quite the jump. I only died a couple of times while Ann died about ten times more. She blamed it on the "hot dude" and I agreed with her. The whole time she was ogling the character's "hot" backside.

"This guy has some hot pixels," Ann stated.

"My turn!" Kai said, reaching for the controller.

"I thought it was Cliff's," Gray mumbled.

"Him and Mary are already sleeping," I told them, eyeing the two sleeping forms on my floor. "What time is it?"

Kai checked his phone. "About one in the morning."

"I'm still not tired," Ann whined. "Let's keep playing!"

And that's what we did for the next three hours. Until we all passed out from exhaustion in a heap on my floor.

--

When I woke up the next morning I was aware of two things. One; someone was complaining about their back hurting and two; I was lying on something warm and rather hard.

"Shut up Ann," someone mumbled. I thought it was Kai.

And I should have known it was Ann who was doing the complaining.

"No, you shut up Kai! My back hurts and no one even cares!"

Ah, I guess it was Kai then.

Groaning, I lifted my head off the warm _thing_ (that was actually quite comfortable even though it was rock hard) and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I was shocked to see what I was actually using as a pillow.

Gray.

He was looking up at me, staring. My breath caught in my throat and I looked away. Why were all of these sudden encounters with him happening so often? I cleared my throat and scooted away from him, as far as possible.

Ann was currently pestering Cliff, demanding that he massage her back for her. He looked a little overwhelmed, but he did it anyway. Wow…what a gentleman.

Mary was smoothing out her wild black tresses while Kai was rubbing his face…for some very odd…very mysterious reason. I saw Gray sit up in the corner of my eye, rubbing his hand through his hair. I hadn't even noticed the night before that he wasn't wearing his UMA hat. He was wearing the black hat Kai made him use, but he took that off when we got to my parent's house.

I wonder if he kept it at home…

Home. Mineral Town. That was my home. I was actually missing it. A lot.

Was I…homesick?

"What time is it?" somebody asked. How many times have we asked that in the past two days?

"It's like, seven in the morning, Mary," Kai stated. "Ugh…when does that stupid boat leave? We still have to return that damn rental car…"

"Well, _doofus_, the boat leaves at eight…I think…" Ann rubbed her chin. "So we better get a move on if we want to eat, return that stupid car, get a taxi, and make it to the boat on time. So chop chop everyone! We ain't got all morning! Time's awastin'!"

It was too early in the morning for this crap. I wanted to go back to bed. Why was I constantly waking up so damn early in the morning? Normal people didn't get up until, like, ten thirty or so!

I looked at the people around me, thinking.

Shaking my head, I laughed inwardly, smiling.

The people I hung out with were definitely _not_ normal.

Once everyone was ready to go, we dragged ourselves downstairs to encounter my mother making pancakes and bacon.

Yum.

"Kids have time to eat?"

"We can definitely make time," Ann said, sitting herself down at the kitchen table, rubbing her hands together. "It's so wonderful not having to cook for once."

After we ate, which only took about fifteen minutes, we were ready to go. I let everyone pile out the doorway towards the car without me, telling them that I would be with them shortly.

My mother and I hugged. I really wished my father was there, I hardly ever saw him. But he had to leave early this morning for a five-day business trip to get supplies for the grocery store. Oh how convenient.

"Tell Dad I love him."

"I will," my mom said. "Come visit us again soon."

"Maybe you should come to Mineral Town for a little while. The fresh air could do you two some good," I suggested, releasing my mom from the hug we were still in.

"Yeah, that does sound exciting. Hey- how long has Kai and Mary been dating?"

Whoa random question time.

I scrunched up my nose, literally confused. "Uh…mom? Kai and Mary aren't dating."

She cocked her head to the side. "Really? It seems like it. Kai was practically all over her last night; his eyes were glued to her when all of you were in the living room." I stared at her, wide-eyed. "You mean you didn't notice?" I shook my head. She sighed. "I guess it's just a maternal thing."

"I guess…," I noted, still shocked.

Kai and Mary _dating_?

Sort of…weird.

After saying goodbye to my mother, and a couple of more hugs, I was out the door and ready to go back home.

"We have to hurry," Ann yelled out the window of the car, rushing me. I sprinted over to it and got in.

I made Ann sit on Cliff's lap this time.

--

"Wait, wait!" Ann yelled at the boat, flailing her arms around. If we weren't running so late, I would have laughed at how silly she looked.

That didn't stop Kai from laughing.

"Geez Ann," he chuckled, "they aren't even casting off yet."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "Really? Why didn't someone tell me this earlier? Then I could have saved myself the humiliation of looking like an idiot."

"'Cuz we like it when you look like an idiot," the traveler responded, his brown hair swaying in the light sea breeze, his bandana nowhere to be found.

"Whatever, let's just get on," the red-head pouted, stomping her way over to the boat. It took the rest of us a bit more time to board since we were carrying all of the bags, including Ann's.

As soon as we were situated, I slumped down on one of the benches on the front deck. Kai was up with Zack at the wheel while Mary was sitting next to me, looking happy that Ann wasn't steering the boat. I had no idea where Gray, Ann, or Cliff were.

"They were all talking when I left them earlier," Mary said, answered my unasked question. "Ann was saying something about the surprise party, but I didn't really pay attention."

"Ah, I see," I said. "Let's just hope Kai doesn't hear."

"I'm serious you two! I want it looking awesome, no slacking!" Ann emerged from the lower deck, waving a finger at Cliff and Gray. They both nodded and headed off where Kai was currently standing.

"What were you talking about?" The librarian asked her as she made her way over to us.

Ann flopped herself down on the floor at our feet and smiled. "The decorations for the party. I'm pretty sure us girls aren't going to be climbing ladders and risking our lives for some streamers, balloons, and a giant banner. No, I'm all ahead of that. Gray and Cliff will be doing it."

"Oh," both Mary and I said.

"So," Ann flicked her ponytail off of her shoulder, "let's play a game or something! I am _so_ bored!"

Sigh.

This was going to be a long trip back home.

--

**Thanks for reading! Please take the time to leave a little review, it means the world to me! :3**

**The next chapter should be out soon, but I'm thinking the _flangsty_ (oh ho ho!) Kaire oneshot might be out before the next chapter. IDK, it depends on the authoress. ...Which is me! XD**

**...Yeah.**

**Ouuu! It's storming over here. I love storms. I think they are calming/relaxing. As long as I'm inside, that is. I hate getting rain water all over me. Rain water smells.**

**Nyuk nyuk.**

**Okay, I'm definitely gone! Bye! XP**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ugh, finally updated after a very long, very frustrating time. No review replies this chapter, sorry! Next chapter you'll get them, I promise! But thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story! It really means the world to me!**

**Bleh, sorry if this chapter seems...filler-ish. My mind grasped the idea that involved Popuri...and I went with it. I apologize to any Popuri-lovers out there! AHEM. So yeah, basically this chapter is a filler/build-up to the awesome freaking surprise party. Yeah, I said awesome, and I said freaking! XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. If I did, I'd have the best scientists in the world build me a machine where I can make hot fictional video-game characters come to life.**

**Ahahaha, I tried being funny in this chapter. Keyword: _tried_.**

* * *

The bags in my hands dropped to the ground as soon as I entered my farm. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it soon after, too shocked to actually form words. The only thing I could do was scream.

Scream _her_ name.

It didn't take long for her to skip merrily into my farm, all smiles.

Yeah, she wouldn't be skipping merrily after I snapped her legs off.

"Oh hey Claire," she beamed, giving me a little wave. She eyed the bags at my feet and smiled. "Are you gonna show me what you bought?"

What the hell was she doing? She was acting all innocent and naïve, that was what she was doing!

"Popuri!" I yelled. She flinched. "What the hell did you do to my crops?! They're ruined!"

I jabbed a finger towards the destroyed plants and gave her a questioning glare. They were in shambles, and all looked unsalvageable.

My poor little corn and pineapple plants.

_How could she?!_

"Well?"

"Uhhh….," she smiled, scratching her head. "Um…the chickens did it! Rick. Yes, Rick! He and the chickens! I tried stopping them but they _wouldn't listen!_" Popuri waved her hands in front of her face, trying to make her story dramatic. It wasn't working.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Hmmmm…no! That's what really happened," she giggled.

That pink-haired vampire was messing with me. I knew she trampled on them herself, just because she was…_her_. Her story was ridiculous. I wasn't stupid to believe her.

She should have been carted away by Harris, arrested and never allowed to step on my farm again! Kai should have never let her handle my crops! Popuri better…

_Ohhhhh…_

I was going to strangle her!

Visions of myself wrapping my hands around her skinny little neck and squeezing as hard as I could popped into my head, amusing me. Oh, she would learn not to mess with me.

_**Think rationally!**_

_Screw rational thinking! I'm pissed!_

And I normally didn't get _this_ angry.

When I awoke from my thoughts, I saw Popuri looking at me, terror written on her face. I cocked my head to the side, confused. Until I realized that my hands were outstretched towards her neck and I had a grin plastered to my face.

_Oh crap._

And with my luck, someone just _had_ to waltz onto my farm to witness the scene, his chocolate brown hair all too recognizable.

Popuri started backing away from me, practically shaking in her boots. If she was wearing boots, that is. Kai was just standing there, staring at me, jaw slack from shock. Did he really think I was going to hurt her? I might have taken joy in the thought but I would never do such a thing. Didn't he know me well enough to know that necessary piece of information?

Once the crop wrecker bumped into Kai, she squealed, turning around to see who she knocked herself into. "Oh Kai!" she exclaimed dramatically once realizing who it was. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his still-stunned form. He was staring at me the whole time, my arms still outstretched, but my evil grin gone.

"Popuri…," he scolded, prying her all but eager arms off of him. "What did you do?"

She gazed down at the ground guiltily, moving her foot in circles absentmindedly. "Nothing…," she replied in a quiet voice. "I mean…_something_. But, but! Did you see her coming at me like a wild banshee? I saw my life flash before my eyes at that very moment!" She stuck out her lower lip, pouting, and yearning for him to believe her.

No such luck.

"Did you do _that_?" he asked, pointing at my field of dead plants.

"Uh…um…I told her! Rick and the chickens!"

She really needed to stop blaming her brother and his chickens. I knew all too well that he didn't do this. He didn't have a reason to. Either did she, but I guess I would never know how her brain worked.

"Popuri," Kai shook his head, ashamed. And without a second thought, he hustled passed her and gave me an apologetic look. Seeing this, Popuri stomped her foot and let out a huff of anger before retreating back the way she came.

Good riddance.

That girl just irked me.

Kai walked up to me and frowned, eyeing my arms that were still locked in an outstretched position. He gently pushed them down and shook me, trying to get me to do something instead of staring off at the place where Popuri was just standing. I looked at him to let him know that I was fine but that didn't stop him from giving me another worried look.

"Sheesh," he commented. "Popuri actually did this?"

I nodded.

"Crap," he shakes his head, "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that she didn't…_like_ you."

"Either did I," I replied.

When he didn't speak, I shook my head and walked over to my ruined crops, kneeling down to inspect them more thoroughly. I grimaced at the site of pineapple and corn chucks strewn across the field, crushed and already attracting flies.

I didn't hear Kai follow me but I knew he did since his shadow was hovering over me. "Any of them worth saving?" he asked.

I took the time to gently touch the broken corn stalks, some still trying to hold on to their broken halves. The leaves were compressed into the mud, an obvious sign that someone had stomped on them _and_ had taken the time to water them beforehand.

She seriously took the time to water them first, and then destroy them with her big ogre-like feet?

Who does _that?!_

All in all, it was a pitiful looking site. And I hadn't even looked at the pineapples yet, they were hidden from view by the corn stalks.

"Hmph," I acknowledged, "just what I thought. Definitely trampled on." I stood up and wiped my hands on my jeans, sighing. "I guess this means no pineapples for you, Kai."

"Dang," he grumbled. "She seriously took the time to stomp on all of them?"

"Pretty much," I answered.

Scoffing, he walked around the battered corn plants and eyed the pineapples, his favorite fruit. I didn't really know what he was doing. Probably mourning the poor things, like I was.

They didn't deserve to be killed by a pink-haired vampire freak who was intent on making my life a living hell.

"Aha!" he shouted, flinging a fisted arm in the air. I jumped, startled from his sudden outburst. I walked over to him and gave him a confused glance. "Look," he points, "_it's ALIVE!_"

I furrowed my brow and looked in the direction he was pointing in, which was down towards the ground. Sure enough, sitting beautifully on the ground and still connected to the stem was a perfect looking ripened pineapple.

"Well whaddya know," I plucked it from the stem; "it _is_ alive!"

_How did she miss that one?_

Kai gasped, pointing an accusing finger at me, eyes wide. "You just killed it!"

What was he blabbing about?

"Wha…?" I asked, looking down at the fruit of our discussion. "No I didn't."

"Yes, yes you did!"

Was he being serious?!

"No, Kai. I simply took it off the stem since it's ripe."

"…Oh," he mumbled quietly.

I smiled. "Happy early Birthday!" I exclaimed, shoving the ripened pineapple into his hands.

He looked at the gift dumbly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Boy do I feel dumb."

"You should," I agreed, laughing.

"Haha, funny," he said sarcastically, chuckling anyway. He stopped abruptly, frowning. I gave him a weird look, wanting to know the reason for his sudden mood changed. "I'm not going to talk to Popuri for a while, just to let you know."

I snorted. "Wonder how she's going to feel about that one."

"She'll have to deal," he walked away from the useless plants, "cuz I'm mad at her right now. I could have gotten more pineapples!" I gave him a disapproving glare. "Oh…uh…I mean…she should have never done this to you Claire, you just lost a ton of money!" he added, grinning.

_Thanks for the sympathy, Kai._

"Well," I shook my head, "just enjoy this one. It's the only one I got."

He hugged me, the pineapple squished between our bodies. "Thanks so much for the awesome birthday gift, Claire! I'll make sure to think about you when I'm eating it!" Kai gave me a hesitant, but quick peck on the cheek before he exited my farm.

Well that was surprising.

"Thanks, dear," he called out before disappearing.

I sighed, pressing my hand to the cheek Kai just kissed. I didn't…feel _anything_. It was as though it was a mere gesture between brother and sister. And it felt…nice. It was silly of me to actually believe Ann that Kai was a "potential boyfriend". Because…well…I couldn't see us going past the best friends stage. I thought he knew that, too. We were both proud of our relationship status: best friends; and I didn't think that would ever change.

--

I trudged into the inn, my mood sour. "I need a drink," I told Ann upon sitting down at the counter.

"Rough day? This morning you seemed fine," Ann stated as she poured me a glass of red wine, my favorite. I didn't drink much, but when I did, I always had red wine.

"Popuri," was all I said.

The red-head rolled her eyes. "What did she do this time? …Wait," her eyes widened, "don't tell me she did something horribly nasty and then proceeded to blame it on Rick and the chickens!"

I groaned. She did something like this before?

"OMG! She did, didn't she?" Ann asks loudly. I didn't feel like that question needed a reply. "Didn't she?" she pushed after a few moments of silence.

Sighing, I took a sip of the red wine, letting the cool, deep-colored liquid slide down my throat. "…Yeah."

Ann sat down next to me, her eyes still wide. "Oh my… See? I told you I knew everything!" I frowned at her. "Err…I mean…what did she do?"

I took a deep breath before I said, "She purposely stomped on all of my crops, destroying them, and then acted all innocent like as if nothing even happened! She even had to nerve to ask me if I could show her what I _bought_!"

Ann gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with her hands. "_No!_"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, equally dramatic. "I lost so much money with those stupid crops! And you know the worst of it all?" Ann shook her head. "I can't even make myself stay mad at Popuri. It's like…impossible. Yeah, sure, I was angry with her in the beginning, but, I'm like…_over_ it."

Ann chuckled, "You won't be saying that when you see her tomorrow night at the party."

"Probably not," Igroaned.

"It's okay," Ann comforted me. "I'm sure everything will work out for you money-wise. Love-wise, I'm not so sure of." I playfully slapped her arm which she quickly nursed it jokingly, a twinkle in her eye.

"How are you and Cliff?" She was positively _beaming_ when I said his name.

"Oh," she smiled, "really well."

"Are you going to elaborate any further?" I asked her, pushing for more details.

She winked at me as she stood up, her palms facing flat on the bar counter. "I don't kiss and tell," she said calmly, smirking.

Before I could stutter out a remark, she was already through the kitchen door, leaving me alone with my questions.

_Damn you Ann! You don't say something like __**that**__ and just leave a girl hanging!_

I sat there with my arms crossed, seething. I couldn't believe she just up and did that! _Gah_!I was more annoyed than anything. She could have at least told me _something_ juicy about her and Cliff.

I frowned at my half empty wine glass, not in the mood for wine-drinking anymore. I pushed the glass away from me, distasted.

Hearing footsteps near me, I turned my head towards the source to see Kai walking over to me from the stairs. He had his purple bandana back on and I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't see his hair anymore. He looked so different with that _thing_ on his head.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's up?"

"Why are you wearing that bandana again? I thought you finally gave it up for good."

"Oh," he chuckled, "so we skip the foreplay. As a matter of fact, I haven't given it up. It's my baby." Upon saying this, he gently patted the top of his head lovingly, almost as though that stupid bandana was his lifeline or something.

He sat down next to me, in the very stool Ann was sitting on moments ago. Before she…cruelly left me hanging. _Ann is __**so**__ gonna get it. _

I rolled my eyes at him, re-crossing my arms. "I like you better without it," I mumbled.

Kai shrugged, "Oh well. You'll learn to deal."

"So, twenty-three, huh?" I asked, trying to change the subject. I was in no mood to bicker with Kai about the uselessness of purple bandanas.

"Yeah," he grinned, "still young, hot, and hip as ever."

"Oh my," I laughed out. "That sounds like what a grandparent in denial would say."

He pouted, "You didn't even agree with me!"

"About being young and hip?" I asked, playing dumb. His reaction would be so funny…

"No!" he shouted. I had to cover my mouth with my hands to stifle the giggles that would soon be escaping. "About being hot!"

As soon as he yelled the last part, Ann came bouncing out the kitchen door, all smiles. "Kai!"

He turned his head towards her, grinning. "Hey Ann!"

Before anyone of us knew it, Ann flew on top of him and they both went tumbling to the ground.

"Whoa," Kai patted her on the back, "what's gotten into you?"

I smiled. "She and Cliff…_did_ _stuff_."

His eyes widened. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Get off me Ann! _Get off me!_"

I started laughing when Kai pushed the hugging red-head off of him. "Ugh. Kai, we didn't do anything like _that_, you perverted bimbo. Way to unsettle my good mood."

She helped him up and I was _still_ laughing. Just the sight of Ann glomping Kai like a little fan girl…Oh dear, I was laughing even harder now.

"What's so funny?" Kai asked, brushing himself off.

I couldn't answer him, I was giggling so hard. Ann eyed me weirdly. "She's had a rough day…," she explained. "Claire's finally cracked!"

If I had a come-back to that, I would have used it right then and there, but due to me falling off the stool, it was sort of hard to actually say anything intelligent in my tangled-up state. "Oof!"

"Oh crap," Ann laughed.

"Are you okay Claire?" Kai asked, bending down to help me up.

After I got the few extra laughs out my system I was finally able to speak. "Yeah, I'm…fine."

"I think that half glass of wine did you in, Alchy," Ann said jokingly. "Lay off the alcohol for a while."

Kai grinned. "Ann, stop teasing her. That's my job."

These two were terrible working as a team. I needed to get away.

"Uh, guys? I think I'm just gonna go home, rough day and all," I said as I started walking towards the front door.

"Oh," the barmaid teased, "look Kai! We scared her off!"

The traveler chuckled. "Wait!" I stopped my hike towards the door and looked back at his smirking face. "Lunch with me tomorrow?"

I shrugged. "I'll see if I can pencil you in."

He furrowed his brow and sighed. "Come to the Snack Shack at noon. You better be there, Claire. It's my birthday you know."

I shook my head, "Yeah yeah, I know. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

--

I stepped onto the beach, the sand squishing beneath my shoes. The warm summer breeze tickled my skin and ruffled my hair in the ponytail I threw it up in earlier. It was just too hot today for my long hair to be down.

The white building that was the Snack Shack loomed ahead in the distance. This was going to be my first time going in there, which was weird. It was almost the end of summer and I still hadn't eaten at my best friend's restaurant.

_The end of summer._

That meant Kai was leaving. I frowned and felt something tug on my heartstrings. I didn't get _why_ he was leaving. Why couldn't he just stay here and not travel all the time? He could keep his restaurant open every season, instead of just the summer.

I swung up open the screen door and walked inside the small restaurant in search of said purple bandana wearing traveler. He was nowhere in sight but I knew he was in here somewhere due to the smells wafting into my nose. Was it…_baked corn_?

"Kai?" I called out.

"Just a sec!" he yelled out to me from the back room. I heard pots and pans being moved around and sometimes a mumbled curse word or two being blurted out.

After a few minutes, Kai came waltzing through the kitchen door carrying a plate of what I thought was to be baked corn. He grinned upon seeing me and set the plate down on the counter.

"Happy Birthday, Kai!" I smiled.

He flashed a smirk my way, leaning his elbow on the counter in front of me. "Thanks."

"Baked corn, huh?"

"Yeah," Kai chuckled, "Ann told me it was your favorite food."

_And Gray's_, my mind added.

I flinched. Gray was the one who got me hooked on the stuff. It was seriously delicious and addicting. Did he still like it too? _Ugh…don't let this bring you down, Claire. Kai doesn't deserve you being all angsty on his birthday…_

"I got lasagna in the oven," Kai interrupted my thoughts.

"Really?" I asked, grabbing a piece of baked corn. "How goes business?"

Kai drummed his fingers against the wood, ignoring my question. Once the sound of his drumming fingers started irritating me I placed my hand on top of his, stopping him from tapping the counter.

"…Kai? What's wrong?"

"Eh?" He looked at me. "Oh. Uh, nothing. Everything's fine."

Even a blind person would notice something was wrong.

"_Riiight…_"

"Claire," he warned. "It's…nothing too bad. It's just that…business isn't going so well."

I grunted. Of course it wasn't going well. He was only here in the summer. How could he think he could run a successful restaurant when he's gone three seasons out of the four? It was stupid…and rather childish; running around the way he did. Didn't he want to settle down? Get married? Have children? Didn't he want some stability in his life?

"Maybe you should stay in one place for more than one season. Then business wouldn't be so bad," I snapped. "Have you ever thought of settling down, Kai?" He didn't answer. "Well, have you?" I repeated.

"Yeah," his voice was quiet. "Several times. It's just not something I want to do right now, you know?"

"No," I scoffed, "I don't know. Don't you get tired moving around all the time?" I set the half-eaten piece of food back on the plate, my appetite ruined.

"It gets to be a hassle, but I manage," he answered. "Why are we talking about this?"

"Do you like it here?"

"What?" he asked.

"I said, _do you like it here?_"

"Well yeah," he said, scratching the back of his sheepishly. "The people are great and I feel at home when I stay here."

"Then why leave?" I asked, crossing my arms. I wanted to get off of my stool and shove him or something, anything to knock some sense into that thick skull of his. Why'd he have to be so damn difficult?

It took some time for him to answer. "I…don't know."

"You don't know," I repeated, snippy.

"Yeah."

"Well that's nice." I didn't want to fight with him. I wanted him to see the error in his traveling ways. "No wonder your business isn't doing well."

Ouch.

_That's going to leave a mark, Claire. That was a low blow._

He cringed, his body stiffening as he stood up straight; no longer leaning on the counter. He closed his eyes and huffed out a loud sigh. I fidgeted in my seat, tracing different shapes into the wooden countertop with my finger. I always hated the awkward silences that ensued after an argument. Not knowing what to say or what to do…bothered me.

Re-crossing my arms, I tapped my fingers against my forearm, waiting for something to happen. I swished my head to the side, my bangs flicking across my sweaty forehead. The one thing about having bangs covering your whole forehead was that on hot days like this, sweating was inevitable.

It seemed like forever until Kai opened his eyes. I looked up at him through my dirty-blonde bangs; he was staring at me intently. My eyes widened. For some reason, him looking at me like that unsettled me somehow…

"Your hair's up," was all that he said.

"Yeah…it's hot," I said, uncrossing my arms to play with my ponytail. "What-"

"I like it up," he interrupted.

He leaned across the counter again, daring to push a stray piece of hair behind my ear. My breath hitched as I realized the close proximity of his face with mine. Kai locked eyes with me as his hand traveled down my face, cupping my chin. He brushed his thumb across my lips, causing me to suck in air sharply. Warning lights went off in my head but I didn't do anything to stop him; I was too shocked to actually say anything near intelligent. By now it would have come out in gibberish, definitely something Kai wouldn't understand. I blinked as he tilted my 

head to the side and leaned in closer, his breath tickling my ear. His other hand snaked its way around my arm, bringing me closer to the counter, closer to him. A little gasp escaped my mouth as he did this, giving him the wrong impression as he moved my head to where I could look at him fully again.

I stared at him, wide eyed. He wasn't smirking at me, grinning at me, nothing like that. What I saw in his eyes shocked me beyond anything I could ever imagine. Adoration and _lust_ swirled around his chocolate brown orbs, directed all at me. I hated to think what he saw in my own sky blue pair. Shock, frustration; nothing that he _wanted_ to see.

This wasn't right…this wasn't supposed to happen…I thought he knew that we were strictly _just friends_. Where did I go wrong? I didn't lead him on, did I? No, I didn't. I wasn't like that; I wasn't the one to play with someone's heart that way. It was cruel and unnecessary.

But why did I feel like I was the cause of this? That it was my fault that he was about to…

_Kiss me._

When his lips attacked my own, I didn't do a thing. I sat there with my arms at my side, stock still. What was I supposed to do? I wasn't going to encourage him; I wasn't going to approve of this.

_Then why aren't you pushing him off of you?_

Why wasn't I?

Before I could shove him off of me, though, his mouth was absent from mine. Kai was staring at me from across the counter again, breathing heavily, that same look in his eyes. I was angry, hurt, stunned; but mostly…annoyed. I raised a clenched fist in the air, debating whether or not to just slug him in the face right then and there. Seeing him flinch, I shook my head and let out a shaky laugh as I decided to just slam my fist on the counter.

Who was I kidding? I wasn't capable of physical violence. I didn't even believe in it; violence didn't solve your problems, they only made them worse. The worse they got, the bigger the hole you dig yourself in. The deeper the hole, the harder for you to get out of it. To state it simply, violence was never the answer.

Kai wasn't fazed by the loud noise my fist made upon slamming down on the counter. All he did was look at the ground, unfazed and unmoving.

"Damn it, say something Kai!" I yelled at him.

"Nothing?" he asked, lifting his head to look at me.

I stood up abruptly, not only scaring Kai, but myself as well. Was my body acting on its own accord now?

"Nothing what?" My voice was now just above a whisper.

I hoped he knew how hurt I was, how annoyed he just made me. But I didn't want him to know how much I hated myself at this very moment for letting that kiss happen, for not stopping it before it was too late. I blamed myself for this one, for leading Kai on; however I did that.

"Did you _feel_ anything? Like, the whole overly-cliché tingles or sparks? That sort of thing?" he questioned, his hands fidgeting.

I frowned and turned my head away, not wanting to say the truth. But what would have happened if I lied? "…No."

To my complete surprise he smiled. "Me either."

I opened my mouth, only to snap it back shut a few seconds later. What was I supposed to say to that? Did he basically just kiss me to see if we had any _chemistry_? If that was the reason, why couldn't we have just talked about it? Why did he have to pull something like _that_ to find out if we actually did have something? Why…

…Did I smell something burning?

"Kai…"

"Do you smell that?" he asked, frowning. "What does that-"

"The lasagna," I stated, wide-eyed.

He looked at me in alarm, his eyes about to pop out of his sockets. "Oh crap," he said quickly, darting to the back room, where smoke was now looming out of.

Why didn't we notice this before?

_Because you two were busy kissing, that's why._

I winced at the thought, but quickly got myself together and followed Kai back into the smoke-filled kitchen. I could hardly see where he was, the smoke was so thick. Some got into my lungs, and I ended up hacking. The smoky air stung my eyes, causing them to overflow with water. I felt my way around by patting the wall a few feet away from me, searching for Kai.

"Claire, go out front. I don't want you back here," he called out; his voice sounding distant, muffled. He was probably covering his mouth and nose with something, like I should have been doing.

Doing the smart thing and covering my face with my arm, I used my hands to guide my way back out to the dining area. The fumes were already dissipating, but to be on the safe side I pushed the front screen door open for ventilation. I stumbled back inside, calling out Kai's name.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. He sounded so calm, so composed. I was panicking and I knew he could tell from the way my voice cracked when I said his name. "It's okay, Claire. There's no fire. Almost, though."

I saw him walking towards me, something in his hands. I was glad that the smoke was clearing; I could actually keep my eyes open without them tearing up. Kai dropped something on the counter, making more noise than needed. He huffed and crossed his arms, obviously angry about burning the lasagna. I couldn't help by laugh at his appearance, he just looked so funny standing there pouting. And the black dirt streaks on his cheeks didn't help much, either.

I sauntered over to him and the _thing_ on the counter, getting a closer look at said thing. It happened to be a pan full of a black and gray blob of sorts. Kai was already poking it with a spoon, the black substance making a loud _crunch_ sound when being prodded. The gray goop oozed off of the crispy black substance, which could only be the noodles, and stuck to the spoon Kai was using to tease the lunch disaster. The sort-of liquid goop had to be the sauce. The poor meal was definitely dead.

"No way of saving this," I joked.

"Nope," he agreed, popping the _p_, his mouth forming an "o" shape.

"You have like, black stuff all over you face." I grabbed the spoon from his hand and tried digging into the burnt mess, just to be doing something.

"So do you," he grinned.

I didn't know if it was what we had said or how silly the situation was, but we both ended up on the floor, laughing our hearts out.But due to the stray smoky air, we both had a coughing attack. So now we were laughing/coughing. And we sounded like idiots.

"Okay, okay," Kai breathed out. "I think…we need to stop…before we cough up a lung or something."

I laughedonce more. "Yeah…I…a-agree with you."

I sat on my knees and used the stool next to me to help myself up to my feet. "We should…clean this place up a bit, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah," he staggered to his feet, "I suppose."

--

I heaved a sigh as I lazily leaned my back against the counter, tired from cleaning up the Snack Shack. A fan was whirring in the corner; we wanted to make sure the air was clean, and not still evident of smoke and other debris from the almost-fire. While I had swept and mopped up the ash on the floor, Kai dusted everything off and was currently cleaning the oven.

Feeling dirty and slightly worn out, I closed my eyes as I tried to lean on the counter more comfortably. As soon as I got home I was going to shower and then take a nap before having to go and help set up for Kai's surprise party.

Speaking of which- how was he going to be distracted from the inn until six?

"Hey Kai?" I called out.

As if on cue, he came sauntering out of the kitchen, dirty as ever. "Huh?" he asked, wiping his soot-black hands on an already-dirty towel.

"How long are you staying here?"

"Uh…I was thinking about going back to the inn to take a shower and-"

"No!" I blurted out. "I mean, no, you can shower at…the hot springs! Yeah, I'm going there anyway."

He shrugged. "Okay, pool partay!"

I slapped my forehead, annoyed. Sometimes Kai could be so…childish. "Yeah…whatever."

"Hey," he said softly. "We're…okay, right? Like…you know?" His eyes were pleading me for something. Forgiveness?

I crossed my arms. "It's fine. Let's just put it behind us and act like nothing ever happened, okay?"

"Agreed," he replied. "And…uh…well, don't get mad." Ugh, what now? "But…Popuri wants to meet with me here and then take me to the inn for dinner. I told her I'd think about it because of what happened yesterday…"

"Go," I said quickly. This was perfect! Ann and I must have underestimated Popuri; she actually _did_ have this planned. But, still, I was upset about my crops, so I wasn't going to congratulate her on a job well done or anything. I didn't care if I was being childish or stubborn.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I nodded, "just don't lead her on, or anything." This was perfect, I had to go along with it, letting him think he was having dinner with Popuri. But, in reality, we were throwing him a surprise bash.

"Wasn't planning on it," Kai grinned. "So, off to the hot springs, _milady_."

I giggled as he waved his hands towards the doorway in a gentleman-like gesture, waiting for me to pass through the door first, before following.

--

"Hey, where are you going, Claire? I have to go get my swim trunks from the inn!" Kai yelled when I walked ahead of him.

Oh no. He couldn't go to the inn! I had to seriously step into ninja mode if I was going to keep his surprise birthday a _surprise_.

"Uh…I'll go get them! See you at the hot springs, Kai!" I declared, breaking into a jog towards the inn, leaving a confused traveler in my wake.

When I entered the inn, I could hear Ann's voice all the way at the far end of the large dining area. Karen and Elli were, unfortunately, within earshot of the barmaid's booming voice, and they cringed. "We need to hustle, people! It's like, two o'clock! We only have four more hours to get this inn awesome looking!"

Mary was off at a corner table, decorating it, while Popuri was cleaning off the other tables, humming some song I did not know of to herself. Ann even had May and Stu working; they were helping Elli and Karen decorate a giant white roll of paper, probably the banner. Cliff was nowhere to be seen, including Gray.

The only thing Ann seemed to be doing was bossing people around.

Typical.

I headed for the stairs, eyeing Popuri wearily. Ann spotted me and shouted, "CLAIRE! Come over here for a second!"

I sighed, but did what I was told. "What is it, Ann?"

"Ew," she scrunched up her nose in disgust, "you're dirty."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm aware of this. Have anything to tell me that I _don't_ know?"

"Well, all of the girls are staying here after the party, so make sure to bring an overnight bag. And forget about coming here at five thirty; make it four because all of us are getting ready here as well."

"O-okay. But I-"

"And before I forget," the red-head interrupted, "do you have like, a curling iron or a flat iron? Makeup?"

"I don't wear makeup, but I have the other two. But, listen, Kai is waiting for me at the hot springs. I have to get his swim trunks and some extra clothing because he was about to come in here himself."

Ann gasped, "Really? Oh crap, well, don't let him in here! Popuri will be at the beach at five thirty to meet him, so keep him occupied until then and I'll forgive you for not helping out around here."

I laughed, "Yeah, yeah, okay."

"Why, exactly," she raised her eyebrows, "are you two going to the hot springs? Hot date or something?"

I scoffed. "No way! There was a little accident at the Snack Shack and we are completely filthy, if you haven't noticed. I'll tell you about it later," I added upon seeing her open her mouth to question my response.

Once I was released from Ann's clutches, I raced up the stairs in record time, surprised that I actually didn't trip over my own feet. I opened the door to the boys' room and searched for Kai's things.

I knew I found his bed and dresser when I laid eyes on a very messy and unclean bed, along with a dresser with clothes stuffing out of the sides of the three drawers. Definitely Kai's. Ugh, he was such a pig.

How Gray and Cliff, or even anyone, could live with him was beyond my knowledge. His white sheets were practically all the way off the bed, hanging off the side and pooling into a small pile on the hard wood floor. His black comforter was balled up by his pillow, which was near the foot of the bed. The other boys' beds were made and well-kept, their dressers neat and tidy.

I cautiously walked over to his side of the room, afraid something would jump out from under his bed and start moving and come clawing at my leg. I shivered at the thought and quickened my pace towards his messy dresser.

It took a lot of effort to rip the top drawer from its location, the many articles of clothing sticking out from the openings jamming it in place. Grunting, I finally was able to pull the overstuffed drawer open and started searching for his swim trunks. Once I found his _purple_ trunks, I began my search for a clean outfit he could wear because one; he wasn't going to step a foot into this inn until it was time for him to do so and second; he was going to look good at his party.

I tromped down the stairs, clothes in hand. The first thing I noticed upon entering the first floor was that Cliff and Gray were now here, listening to Ann boss them around. I headed for the front door at lightning speed, reaching for the handle just as someone said my name.

Turning around, I eyed the crowd to see Ann smirking at me, gesturing at me to come over to her with her finger. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood to listen to her bossy-ness. I didn't really have the time, either.

"What?" I snapped.

She eyed me weirdly before saying, "Keep Kai there for as long as possible. If he even comes close to this building and I hear of it, I'm going to cut off all of your hair."

I snorted. "Yeah, you do that and I'm going to tell everyone what you did with Cliff," I countered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

She flushed red and stuttered a few incoherent things while Cliff, and everyone else, just stared at her. I grinned and walked over to the front door, relishing in my epic win for I had accomplished something no one else had ever done.

I had rendered Ann speechless.

--

I let out a sigh of relief as I entered the area near the Goddess Pond. Kai was leaning against the doorway to the hot springs, whistling to himself quietly. I strolled over to him and he opened his eyes, giving me a smile.

Thrusting his swim trunks and other necessities out towards him, I said, "Here. And, by the way, your part of the room is a pigsty, you're disgusting."

"Geez, Claire. Hello to you, too. By the way, I'm pretty sure it doesn't take you fifteen minutes-"

"Shut up and change already," I interrupted, pushing the door open and heading for the girls' changing room. I hurried and changed into my plain, light pink two-piece swimsuit, grabbing a towel and the normal shower essentials on my way out.

--

"And just where are you going?" Kai asked suspiciously upon seeing me get out of the water.

_Oh crap._ I needed to lie myself out of this one, that was for sure.

"Uhhh…Ann wants me at the inn soon…needs me to help her reorganize her…um, uh…bedroom. Really can't keep her waiting ya know!" I laughed nervously. _Ugh…_ I sucked at lying.

I hurriedly wrapped my towel around my body, tying the two end pieces in a knot under my left arm. After ringing out my hair, I stepped down from the hot springs and near the girls' changing room.

"Hnnn…whatever," Kai called out to me. I let out a long sigh of relief, filling my lungs up with much needed air. I didn't even know I was holding my breath until now.

Once I was calm, I headed into the girls' changing room and grabbed my things and went back out to face Kai again. He was lounging on the stairs in the pool of water, his legs outstretched.

"Don't forget to wash behind those dirty ears, Kai," I teased.

He turned his head to look at me, his face stoic. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head away from me. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't forget to wash my feet too, right?"

"Precisely," I agreed. "And don't leave the water until you've rubbed off the first layer of skin. You were disgusting."

"So were you."

"Oh, touché," I giggled. "But you're bigger than me, so there's more to clean."

"Yeah, sure. Have fun _rearranging Ann's room_," he waved me off.

I cringed. He was on to me, I just knew it. _Keep cool, Claire. Keep cool._

"Have fun eating dinner with Popuri," I retorted. Biting my lip, I whipped around before he could respond and pushed the door open without even looking. I felt bad for saying that, but he was asking for it. He was supposed to play dumb and not catch on to anything about his surprise party! But here he was, seeing through all of my (horrible) lies.

I looked down at my feet, expecting to see the brown path leading to my farm, but, instead, I saw green linoleum.

Well _this_ wasn't the exit.

Looking up, my thoughts were correct. This, indeed, was not the exit. Or even the girls' changing room. It was the _boys_' changing room. I shivered.

_Now, Claire, get a hold of yourself. You aren't some air-headed teenager. Being in a 'men only' room isn't the end of the world._

Listening to my inner thoughts, I mentally bitch-slapped the little teenager in my brain that was threatening to come out and turned around to leave.

But something caught my eye.

Something _purple._

Kai's stupid little bandana. And it was lying there, innocently, on top of his change of clothes I brought him on the wooden bench in the middle of the room, calling my name. I slyly slinked over to the bench, a delicious idea forming in my wonderful head.

I was going to _steal_ it.

Looking in every direction casually, I quickly grabbed the purple item and booked it out of the room, silent. Peeking from behind the wall, I could see Kai facing away from me, in the same position I last left him in. I grinned and left through the _right_ door this time, relishing in my epic theft skills.

Oh dear goddess I _**was**_ turning into Ann.

I started walking towards my farm, lifting the appalling purple fabric with two fingers. More like with two nails, the thing was so dirty that I didn't want it touching any part of my body. How in the world was Kai going to put this back on his head? Hmph, men; so puzzling. I made a face at the bandana and stuck my tongue out at it childishly before setting it back down to where it was lying on top of my dirty shirt.

--

As soon as I crossed the small wooden bridge onto my property, I was surprised to see someone standing near my very small, very in-need-of renovations, house. My flight-or-fight instincts immediately kicked in, but upon closer inspection, the person waiting by my door, definitely male, was Rick. He was holding something but I didn't know what.

But why was he here?

"Rick?" I questioned as I walked up behind him. My heart was still beating against my ribs, the adrenaline in my veins slowly dissipating.

He whirled around, his eyes wide, and let out a little squeak. I stifled a laugh at how funny he looked, not wanting to be rude.

"Oh! Claire! You…you scared me."

"What are you doing here?" _Yes, why are you here? Hasn't your family caused me enough problems?_

I tilted my head to the side, confused by the bag he was carrying. Rick scratched his head nervously, blushing at my toweled form. "Well…uh…I found out what Popuri did to your crops…and well…I came here to give you this." He shoved the bag in my free hand, since my other hand was full of clothes and some other implements.

"Uhhh…" What was in this thing?!

Sensing my confusion, Rick said, "They're seeds for this fall, silly. My mom also thought it would be nice to give you one of our chickens, free of charge, of course. It's in your chicken coop and I already fed it and everything. Don't worry about chicken feed, I already have that taken care of."

I didn't think my eyes could get any wider. My jaw about hit the ground and all I did was stare at the bag, then back at Rick's face dumbly. Did he really just say all of that, or was it a figment of my imagination?

He chuckled at my reaction and shifted his weight to one foot. "My mom and I are really sorry about what happened and we just wanted to make it up to you. I know how hard it can be to run a farm so it was my idea to give you all of this. Just to let you know, Popuri is in _big_ trouble. After this weekend she isn't allowed to do much of anything."

_Well, glad to hear that._

"She blamed it on you and the…chickens…," I said, coming out of my shocked state.

"Yeah…," Rick laughed, "she tends to do that a lot. For what reason, I do not honestly know. But everyone around here is used to it when she does things like this. We think she just does it for the attention, but my mom thinks it's something more."

"Oh…" _Does it have anything to do with your father leaving_, I silently asked him.

He shrugged, "Mom thinks it has something to do with dad, but, eh, we don't really know."

Huh, my hunch was correct!

"I see, well, thank you so much, and tell Lillia that I appreciate everything. But..really…you two didn't have to-"

He held up a hand, silencing me. "Don't worry about it. Seriously, it's the least we could do."

"O-okay." It wasn't that I didn't want all of this, it was the fact of accepting so many expensive things at once that was bothering me. It was just so…awkward. And I felt…needy. I knew that I was hurting for money after my crops were destroyed and that I _really_ needed these items that Rick was just handing to me, but it felt wrong just taking them without giving something in return.

"Why do you have…_Kai's_ bandana?" Rick asked, disturbing me from my thoughts.

I looked at his finger, which was pointing to the purple bandana lying in a ruffled ball on top of my clothes. I could tell that he was getting upset by the way his face was getting all red. Oh great, I'm going to have to lie again…

I hated this.

"Uh…well…I found it." So far, so good.

"You…found it?" He crossed his arms and tapped his foot.

I inwardly rolled my eyes. Now he was acting like my father! Ridiculous.

"Yeah…I think he might have gone to the hot springs earlier today and left this there. So I'm just going to give it to him tonight at his party. Aren't you going?"

I held my breath in anticipation. _Please believe it, please believe it._

Wait- why did I care if Rick knew I was hanging out with Kai or not?

_Because you don't want to sit through a five hour long lecture about the downsides of knowing/talking/hanging out with Kai._

"Oh," he scoffed. "The party."

"Yeah, you should come. All of us are going to be there."

_Great job on changing the subject Claire, _I congratulated myself. _Great job._

He tapped his chin, seeming to be in deep thought. Finally, after a few minutes of awkward silence, he said, "Well, Karen wants me to go with her and I'm usually there to make sure she doesn't outdo her limit of alcohol intake, so you probably will see me there."

"Oh," I smiled, "great! I have to go and get ready now, so I'll see you at the party!"

"See ya," he waved as he left my property.

Sighing for the umpteenth time today, I entered my farmhouse and began getting my things ready to go to the inn.

* * *

**Yeah...so there it is. I know it sucks, and blah blah blah. But you can always lie and tell me it was awesome! :D Naw, just kidding. Tell me the truth, please.**

**And for all of you waiting for Gray and Claire's emotional moment, bwahahahaha, you'll have to wait just a tiny bit longer!**

**OMG, does that mean there will actually BE ONE?!**

**Yes, yes it does.**

**:)**

**P.S. - It might take a while for the next chapter to come out since I'm now writing my JackxAnn and Kaire oneshots. Do not fret (as if you guys would), I'm going to be working on all three. AT THE SAME TIME. Call it multi-tasking, I call it a gift. Can you chew gum, jump up and down, rub your belly, pat your head, jump on one foot and alternate, AND carry on a conversation with someone?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh dear, get this thing away from me! Gah, this took for freakin' ever! But I guess it didn't help that I got writer's block half way through this chapter, and then proceeded to work on other things...**

**Speaking of other things! ;D I posted a cute little StuxMay oneshot today, so give it a read and such. Also...I put up the first part of She Will Be Loved, which was _intended_ to be a Kaire oneshot, but seeing as I wrote more than expected, it's going to end up being a four-shot. And, if you like Ann in this story, you'll just adore her in Love Sick, another one of my oneshots that has gotten out of hand. It will probably be a two-shot or three-shot, depending on how long I make it. It is currently out of season, since it's set in winter, so it might not get finished until winter rolls around.**

**Yeah, anyway, I told you all that there would be review replies, and here they are! :)**

**_starbear264300:_** Aw, I'm so glad you like it! The reason why Claire doesn't like Kai's bandana is because she thinks it's a nuisance, and takes away from his good looks.

**_Bunnylia:_** Haha, your review made me laugh! I could actually see Popuri doing that, she's that stupid. Thanks for the review!

**_crystalsong:_** OMG! So can I! Multitaskers, UNITE! Haha, thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter!

**_HmGirly12:_** Haha, PASTRY! You wanna know the funny thing about that? I was actually eating a cookie while I was reading your review. A cookie counts as a pastry, right? XD Oh, yeah. That Graire scene you've been waiting for is coming sooner than you think. -Giddy laughter- Oh dance competition? I hope you did well!

**_Midnight Shine:_** Ah, thanks for the review! Yes, last chapter was a filler, but I'm glas you liked it all the same! What DOES Claire do with his bandana? Well -- you find out. SOON.

**_b4k4 ch4n:_** Gray would be very, VERY thrilled. Just read, you'll see ;D Thanks for the awesome review, as always!

**_Prologue:_** Even though Kai and Claire don't end up together in this, you still get your Kaire four-shot. ;P Sorry you had to wait over a month to read the first part of it. Eh...sorta, kinda.

**_smile-maker:_** I HATE RICK TOO! But I actually started liking him as well. OO I guess Rick can be nice and sweet, but Popuri? Eh, I'll probably never like her. EVER. And I saw that you updated your one HM fic, I'm going to have to get my butt into gear and re-read it, I've been slacking! :( Bah, boo Brittanee!

**_Jean Cooper:_** Heh heh, I'm sure you already know what happens to Kai's bandana, how he reacts, and all that jazz. Thanks for putting up with me when I thought this chapter was a huge bust. :D All your help is really appreciated!

**_StarrNight:_** Oh, well, wow, this reply is going to be long, so bear with me here! :) First off, I love that you love Ann's character. And how she's compatible with Cliff? Well, I think, Cliff completes her. His quiet and calm nature fits in with her loud, fiery behavior. He has his ways of quieting her or comforting her that no one else could, and she is able to bring him out of his shell, or drag him out by his feet, kicking and screaming. XD Either way, I think they just compliment each other greatly. And the man candy is definitely adding to the compatibility. ;) Okay, on to other things! Yes, I have read Breaking Dawn. I was so excited that I read it all in a day and a half. But I was greatly disappointed with the book. **_Eeee! Spoilers!_** Some things from the book I thought came from the many fanfics I have read, while others I wrote off as complete fillers to the plot. It felt rushed, un-planned, and there wasn't enough details in the story whatsoever. I could hardly picture the wedding, or what she looked like in her gown. I mean, I'm glad Bella and Edward got their happily ever after, but I HATED how Bella was so intent on still loving Jacob. It was actually quite annoying. Jacob's annoying. The kid's even annoying. And Jacob imprinting on Renesmee? PUH-LEASE. I actually thought Leah and Jacob would end up together, like, one of them secretly imprinting on the other. Hmmm...oh well? And the whole Volturi scene? BLEH. The vampire clans prepared and fretted over their meeting and the Volturi flits away before any action begins! UGH, my rant is over, sorry you had to read the whole thing, _**StarrNight**_ (if you actually DID). XD Hah.

**_Majestic Ribbons:_** Yes, I agree, Popuri is sooo annoying. I just...dislike her so much. But thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter!

**_monkeygirl82000:_** Aw, thanks! The Graire fluff IS coming. SOON.

**_iChocoLove:_** Yes, be very afraid for Kai's bandana. It doesn't live long. XD

**Thanks to all who have reviewed, it means a lot to me! And for those of you who favorite this story and don't leave a review, thanks as well! But, please, if you read, leave some reviews! I love to know what all of you readers think! Even if it's just a one-liner review. It still makes me happy! :)**

**Warning: This is just towards the end of the chapter. I tried making it as tasteful as possible, but if you get uncomfortable reading it, please, by all means, just skip it. It's nothing bad, mind you, just a little extra warning for all you young-uns out there. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

--

"Hey, Ann?" I sought out the red-head's attention as I pushed through the Inn's doors.

She looked up from her spot at the counter, where she was rearranging the refreshments to her standards, and smiled at me. "Hmmmm…?"

"Where is everyone?" I questioned.

The place was completely abandoned, but I could tell that everyone worked really hard on the decorations. The huge banner Karen, Elli, Stu, and May were working on earlier was hanging above the bar, the words: _Surprise! Happy Birthday Kai!_ written on it neatly in purple paint. Purple and gold streamers were hung everywhere, while a hefty amount of balloons of the same colors were dangling from the many ceiling fans. Purple and gold table cloths adorned all of the tables, and cute little pineapple table toppers sat atop of each one. There was even mini pineapple confetti scattered around the middle of each table, the many colors shining in the light.

Where in the world did they get pineapple-shaped confetti? I didn't even see that in the city all those years I lived there. So…_weird_…

"Their upstairs getting ready, I stayed down here to wait for you," she answered.

"Oh," I said quietly as I readjusted the strap on my overnight bag. "We should join them, huh?"

The red-head nodded and after one more turn of the punch bowl, she was ushering me up the stairs and into her bedroom.

"All right, ladies," Ann announced upon entering her room. "Claire's here and she brought the ever-beloved hair straightener!"

Karen looked up from her compact mirror and stared, her applicator stick still in her hand. "I already have one," she stated. "But the more the merrier, I suppose."

"I also have a curling iron," I added, ignoring Karen's snobby tone. Seriously, what was her problem?

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Elli walked up to me, her hands clasped together and her eyes sparkling. "I really want to try something new with my hair; it's always straight and blah-looking."

I gave her a soft smile and dug out the two irons out of my bag. As soon as I fished them out, Ann grabbed them out of my hands and plugged them into the wall near her white vanity. My eyes scanned the room as she did this, and they stopped once I saw Mary on Ann's bed, 

reading a rather familiar-looking novel. _Pride and Prejudice_ was the title, and she was more than halfway through it already. I sat beside her and asked, "How many times have you read this?"

She looked up from the page, her dark eyes wide. And she was wearing her thick wire-framed glasses again, I noticed. "Uh…w-well, this will be my fifth time reading _Pride and Prejudice_. It's just so addicting and romantic, how can I not?"

"I know what you mean," I smiled. "I've read it about three times." It was one of my favorites. Mary pushed her glasses up, and I frowned. "You better wear your contacts to the party," I warned.

She giggled, "I suppose."

"Good," I said, letting her get back to reading.

Looking around the room, bored, I caught Popuri casting glances at me every so often. She was sitting next to Karen on the floor, using her straightener on her thick, unruly pink hair. The way she looked at me reminded me of a scolded puppy. Popuri looked pathetic, and what did she see? Was there something on my face? Before I could say something to her, she frowned and looked away, focusing her undivided attention on getting her curly hair to straighten.

I grimaced, but resumed smiling when I saw Ann looking at me from across the room. She mouthed something to me, but I couldn't quite catch what she was saying. But all too suddenly she stiffened, her eyes widening. Her lips ceased into a straight line, worry etched upon her pretty face.

"My Ann-senses are tingling," she stated simply, serious.

My mouth dropped, and I was most certain that the other girls' did as well. Did she seriously just say that? The funniest thing about it was that she said it with such a straight face, so stoic and serious. It took my whole being not to laugh at her, for I knew it would have made her angry.

But that didn't stop Karen from being a snob about it.

"Ann, you just said the most stupid, obnoxious thing in the world," Karen snickered.

"No," the red-head countered. "The most stupid and obnoxious things come out of _your_ mouth, Karen. Not mine."

Oh _damn_.

The blonde snapped her mouth shut andlet out a loud _hmph_ before returning to her makeup. I had to say, I thought Ann and Karen were going to get into an all-out-cat-fight, the way they were staring each other down. But Karen surprised me by turning away. She seemed the type to enjoy a good fight, much like the fiery red-head.

Huh.

Ann started pacing. "Kai is coming."

_How does she __**know**__ this?_

"Oh!" Popuri jumped up, her hair surprisingly done and looking quite nice, much to my disappointment. It would have been a joy to watch her go meet Kai with half straightened hair. How silly she would have looked…

"Popuri," the red-head ordered. "Go distract him!"

The pink-haired girl raised a finger in the air, "To the beach!"

And she was out in a matter of seconds.

"Well…that was awkward," I commented.

Elli walked out of the bathroom (when did she go in there?) just as I said this, confusion written all over her face. "What's awkward?" Her eyes flitted across the room to look at us. "Where's Popuri?"

"Popuri went to meet up with Kai," Mary said. The nurse made her way over to the bed, where the librarian filled her in on the rest.

I turned to see Karen and Ann in the midst of a stare-down, Ann clearly winning. If looks could kill, Karen would have easily been dead by now, on the ground. The red-head had the meanest death glare you could ever imagine.

And she used it to her advantage.

"Ann," I hummed. If I didn't get them to stop, Karen would be writhing on the ground soon, without even being touched by Ann. She was just _that_ good.

"_What_?" she growled.

I jumped back, offended. "Can I talk to you?" I asked, letting her little outburst slide by this once. She was obviously in her "zone" and didn't want to be disturbed, but I had a little 

purple bandana that needed to be dealt with, and I could only think of one person who could help me. "In the hall?"

"Oh," she shook her head, "sure." After she sent one last death glare Karen's way, she exited her room. I followed her, but not before grabbing the said bandana out of my bag.

As soon as I walked out into the hall, I scowled and flung the offending material towards Ann, who caught it with one hand easily, without even looking; as if she was used to things being thrown at her.

"Ugh, I _hate_ that thing." It was ugly, useless, and Kai looked so much better without the stupid accessory.

"Kai's bandana?" Ann asked, confused. "What about it?"

"Destroy it," was all that came out of my mouth.

"Excellent," she smirked. "Oh! I know what we could do!"

I laughed, "And what is that?"

"We'll cut it up and mix it into Karen's food! It's brilliant, flawless!"

Oh, Ann…

_Whatever will I do with you?_

"As appealing as that sounds, I don't think the outcome would come out very well. I was thinking…of a more subtle approach…"

"What?" she pressed. "Cut it up and throw the pieces in his face when we yell _Surprise!_? He definitely wouldn't know what hit him. Literally."

I shook my head, laughing. "That isn't very subtle. But it could work."

"It _will _work. Have you ever doubted any of my ideas?" She grinned, her eyes sparkling. This was just what she needed, a little pick-me-up after her mood soured due to the little spat with Karen.

I gave her a small smile, "Nope." But of course, I lied. All of her ideas had come back and bit us in the ass, but I wasn't about to spoil her good mood. Besides, for the first time, I was going to enjoy one of the plans Ann had conjured up.

Oh, killing Kai's stupid little bandana was going to be so much fun.

_Becoming Ann Alert! BAA! __**BAA!!**_

I slapped my forehead. "Crap."

Ann tilted her head to the side, "Huh?"

"Nothing…" I mumbled.

I needed to keep my mind straight and not let Ann inside my head anymore.

--

With sweating palms, I reached for the material, scissors being held unsteady in my shaking hands. I all but knew the consequences of doing this, knew how much Kai would be mad at me. Or worse – hate me.

"Oh please," Ann rolled her eyes, "will you get this over with already? We have a schedule to keep, ya know. I could always do it…"

She extended out her hand, but I hugged the sharp object to my chest, shaking my head. "N-no. I'll do it."

Ann blew out a breath of air, annoyed. "Let's get it done, then."

I nodded and took a deep, relaxing breath. I didn't know why I was so nervous; I _wanted_ to shred this stupid bandana to smithereens. Once I was calm and ready, I took the dirty hair accessory out of the red-head's hand and reluctantly…snipped it in half. The half I wasn't holding onto fluttered to the floor like a limp feather.

There was a giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was _enjoying_ this. Destroying someone else's favorite…beloved object was bringing me pleasure. The thought should have sickened me – but it didn't.

"Okay," Ann glowed, "my turn." She took the scissors and the bandana out of my hands, and I was slightly disappointed that I couldn't have another go at the fabric in my hand. I watched as the pretty red-head folded it in half, smoothing out the wrinkles. She caught me eyeing her. "Snowflake," she commented.

She was going to make a snowflake out of Kai's bandana?!

Just when I thought she couldn't get any weirder…

Before I knew it, tiny little pieces of silky purple fabric were floating to the ground and Ann was done with her "masterpiece" as she called it. "It's beautiful!" she gleamed, awed by the tiny silk-snowflake in her hands.

Ignoring her, I picked up the other half off the ground and held my hand out for the scissors. Once she placed them into my hand I got to work on the last half of this…poor…mutilated object.

After everything was cut up into tiny pieces, including Ann's "beautiful" snowflake, we crammed it all in a small plastic baggie and stuffed it into one of the pockets on Ann's overalls. The other girls didn't need to know what we had done; they thought we were going over the left over party plans.

Wow I did a lot of lying today.

Ann laughed. "Oh, Kai is going to adore us when he finds out."

"Nuh uh," I shook my head, "he isn't finding out. He's going to think its purple confetti, and that's all."

She shrugged. "Whatevs. He's probably too stupid to even think that what we throw at him _used_ to be the bandana he wore on his head for all those years."

_All those years?_

Now the guilt was weighing down on my shoulders. This wasn't good.

"Don't feel guilty," Ann warned.

Damn, she was like, a mind-reader or something.

"I'm not," I lied. Hmmm…how many lies has that been, now?

She looked my face over, still not fully convinced. "Okay. Let's just go get ready, then."

I gladly followed her back into her bedroom, anxious to be done with "prettying myself up" already.

--

Kai and Popuri were going to arrive soon, and Karen was _still_ gussying up. She was adding more make-up to her face, which she didn't need. It would probably take weeks to get all that crap off her face. She looked more beautiful without the make-up, if you asked me.

She was a knock-out, that was for sure. The strapless black mini-dress she was wearing complimented her figure so nicely that I wanted to lock her in a closet and throw away the key, to hide her from hungry eyes. People shouldn't _be_ that beautiful. It was almost…disgusting, in a way. Karen was lucky, and I just hoped she was aware of that.

"You don't wear make-up?" the blonde asked me, touching up her mascara. I looked up at her, the classy black heels she was wearing making her inches taller than me. I shook my head. I didn't think I ever wore make-up in my life. "You're lucky, Claire. You are so pretty without it, unlike some of us." She grunted. "Have to work for beauty…" she trailed off, mumbling. Karen was off in her own world, and I decided not to argue with her. She didn't have to work for good looks, she had natural beauty; she was just too blind to see it.

Elli flounced by, her loose curls that I worked so hard on bobbing around her face. She was adorned in a simple, yet pretty blue sun dress. Her very essence screamed _girly_, but in a good way. Elli was such a sweet and caring person; I wondered why I hadn't made friends with her sooner. "Thank you for wowing up my hair, Claire. Now it's not so _boring_," she giggled. I gave her a smile as she bounced out of the room, heading for the first floor, it seemed.

I looked around the bedroom, eyeing Mary standing in front of the mirror on the vanity. She was fussing with the hem of her gray dress, trying to make it go longer. It already hit her knees; did she want it trailing on the floor behind her? I walked over to her, stopping at her side. "Here," I said softly, "let me help." The raven-haired librarian sighed, but dropped her arms down to her sides so I could fix her wardrobe.

Once I was done, Mary fidgeted under my gaze, but I gave her a soft smile that calmed her nerves. "Do I look…w-weird?" she asked, her innocent eyes soft and questioning. I laughed once, shaking my head. Mary needed more self-esteem. She was gorgeous, especially since she was wearing her contacts.

"No, quite the opposite, really. Pretty," I commented, truthful.

"Hmph," she huffed. "How can you say that…when I'm…I'm standing next to y-you?"

I stiffened; stunned that Mary actually said something like that to _me_. She obviously noticed my posture change for she apologized immediately. "I-I…I'm so sorry. I d-didn't mean for it to…to come out l-like that." She shook her head vigorously, "So sorry."

I shook the shocked feeling off and replied, "No, it's okay. Thanks though."

"Everyone else downstairs?" Mary asked, changing subjects.

"Yeah," I answered, glad for the change of topics.

"Well," she fidgeted, "I'll meet you down there, I suppose." She left through the open doorway, the small clicking of her wedges fading as she got closer to the stairs.

"Hurry up, Karen," I ordered on my way out. "Kai should be here soon, and we aren't throwing _you_ the surprise party." I heard her snort as I made my way towards the staircase.

The inn was in frenzy. Ann was hustling in every direction, getting last minute decorations situated in the correct places. Her yellow bubble hem dress fluttered around her as she pranced around in a hurried, quick pace. Ann's hair was down, but that wasn't what surprised me the most. It was about as long as mine, which was about waist-length, and her hair was naturally wavy. It looked so natural on her that it surprised me that she didn't wear it down more often.

I caught Cliff ogling her.

She didn't seem to notice.

Rick was lounging next to Cliff at the bar, and Gray was on the other side of Cliff. Elli was across the large room, showing Doctor what to do with the place settings. He looked utterly clueless and adorable at the same time. I shook my head of such thoughts and looked away; I seriously didn't need to be obsessing over his good looks right now.

Mary was helping Ann at the counter now, and if Ann couldn't tell Cliff was gaping at her from a few feet away, then she really was blind. Said red-head looked up just in time to make eye contact with me. She gave me a large smile. "Claire! Come here!"

I lifted my foot to move, but stopped mid-stride. Gray was over there. He knew I was coming over, but it looked as though he was trying to ignore that fact.

_Stop being a baby and grow up, Claire. You're twenty-one years old, dammit. Start acting like it._

Taking a deep breath, I marched over to the five at the bar, a smile on my face. "Yes Ann?" I asked politely.

_Don't look at him_, I chanted. _Don't look at him. Don't look at him._

She smirked at me and held out a baggie full of what could only be the purple pieces of the once-been bandana we had mutilated. "Confetti," she stated, grinning. By now, the other four were staring at the scene, confused. Ann caught on and explained, "Oh, just a little something Claire and I thought up. No worries."

"Oh," Rick blurted. "Well…uh…Claire?" I turned to look at him, taking extra time not to lock eyes with Gray, who was obviously trying to do so with me. "Is Karen…?" His question trailed off, unsure.

"She's upstairs," I replied. "Still getting ready."

He grunted, "As usual. I'll go see if I can persuade her to come down. Thanks." I nodded before he disappeared after the blonde bombshell.

I turned back around to see Mary studying Ann's dress. "You know…" the librarian began. "I never noticed how intricate the roses are on your dress, Ann. Look; the stems even have thorns and everything! Amazing." Mary tilted her head; her straight black hair cascading passed her shoulders. "Oh! I didn't even notice that the top part is a darker yellow, either. How pretty."

_Wow, is Mary that unobservant when it comes to fashion?_

"Thanks," the red-head said, embarrassed. She and Mary shared the same views on compliments directed towards them, it seemed.

"Yes, you are stunning Ann," I added. Why not throw another compliment her way? She deserved it.

Her shoulders stiffened. "Well…uh…Claire, you are very pretty as well." She fidgeted with her hands. "Cliff," she said. Said boy looked up at her expectantly. "Isn't Claire pretty?"

_What?!_

He smiled, "Yes, very much so. Gorgeous." Wow, he'd do anything for Ann.

I knew I was blushing; the heat in my face was a huge giveaway. Ann always knew how to turn the attention onto someone else. What other way then to make the boy practically worshiping her compliment one of her best friends? "Uh…th-thanks."

Compared to Ann, Mary, Karen, and even Elli, I wasn't gorgeous. I looked plain and rather…normal. I didn't pay my looks much attention anyway, so it didn't really matter.

Cliff tugged at his long sleeved brown shirt. "No problem. All three of you are stunning." His voice was so gentle I thought it belonged to an angel of some sort, not to a shy guy named Cliff. But the way he was looking at Ann when he said this, I knew who he was _really_ talking about.

"It's almost time," a gruff voice mumbled. I didn't have to look to know who it was. Gray.

"Right!" Ann was acting normal again. "Let's get this show on the road, folks," she yelled out, just as Karen and Rick walked down the stairs.

We rushed to our hiding spots, Ann and I near the front door. It was to better carry out our plan. Everyone else was either behind the counter or underneath a table.

It was time.

--

Ann and I heard Popuri's high-pitched voice first, the way it was planned out.

"Oh, Kai, dinner is going to be great! Just wait!"

That was the signal to be ready, of course. Ann hushed the giggling towards the back, while I steadied my breath. It was just so exciting, to surprise someone that is. The look on Kai's face was going to be priceless, that was for sure.

The doorknob turned slightly, and I could tell that everyone was holding their breath in anticipation. The excited red-head next to me set a handful of the silky "confetti" in my open palm and mouthed, "The lights."

I nodded, and with my free hand I flicked the switch and the lights went out.

Seconds ticked by before the door even inched forward.

I could see Popuri's outrageously pink hair in the darkness, the light outside giving enough eye-room. "Huh," she mumbled, trying to sound puzzled. "Kai, do you know why the lights are-"

As soon as I saw Kai emerge through the doorway I flipped the light switch and the inn was bathed in white light. That gave everyone their signs to jump out and yell, "SURPRISE!"

Ann and I took this as our cue to throw the purple confetti in his face. He was taken back, a very shocked and almost horrified look on his face. Popuri shook his shoulder slightly, yearning for him to come around. "Kai…do you like it?"

"Uh…w-wow. Thanks, you guys." He didn't have to say anything else; I could tell he was surprised as well as excited by the way his chocolate brown eyes sparkled.

After everyone had their chance to wish the birthday boy Happy Birthday, they went off to do their own thing. Kai, still bewildered, ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. Some of the purple fabric Ann and I threw at him flickered to the floor. He watched them hit the ground, his eyes wide. Curious, he picked a small piece up, examining it. Ann sent me a nervous glance that I most definitely returned.

"Is this my…my _bandana_?" he asked in horror.

Oh, Ann, do something!

"What?" Ann shrieked. "_NO!_ It's…it's confetti," she explained, throwing more in his face. "WOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAI!"

_Please be stupid, please believe it._

"Yeah…" he began wearily. "Happy birthday…?"

The red-head pushed him towards the bar, muttering something about pineapple-shaped cake. That got the traveler's attention in no time. Once Kai was out of earshot, Ann let out a huge sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. "Piece of cake," she said, gloating.

"Yeah, pineapple-shaped cake," I countered, smiling.

--

"Attention! Attention everyone!"

Mary, Ann, Elli, and I all looked from our spots on the dance floor to glance at Popuri standing on a table. I wanted to get her off of there; her pink poofy dress was just too short to be standing on top of a table in front of four guys, excluding her brother.

Karen was standing on the floor next to Popuri, smirking. She was leaning on her elbow, the bottom of her mini-dress inching up a few centimeters. The idea of locking her up somewhere didn't sound so bad this time…

Seriously, did these two have no morals?

Somebody, probably Cliff, turned down the music so we could all hear the pink-haired girl. Popuri cleared her throat before announcing, "Anyone up for a game of _Seven Minutes in Heaven_?"

Silence.

"Well, whether you want to or not, you all _are_ participating," Karen added snootily.

I leaned in towards Ann and asked, "Isn't that game sort of…childish?"

Blue eyes rolled. "Do you even know Popuri?"

I guess that answered my question.

As the last person, Tim, piled into one of the many guest rooms on the second floor, the door was shut and there was awkward silence. Were we really being forced to play this childish game? Didn't little love struck teens play this? But I guess Popuri was _still_ a teenager, so I supposed it wasn't immature in her mind.

"Okay," Karen stepped in, "let me explain the rules to you, if you don't already know." She set an empty wine bottle on the ground. Did _she_ drink that whole bottle of wine tonight? Karen didn't look drunk, or even close to being tipsy.

"You spin the bottle," she flicked the bottle around in circles, watching it go round and round. "Whoever it lands on – goes in the closet with you for seven minutes. Girl or boy. No one cares if you don't like that person; you go in there with them without a fight. Simple as that, a monkey could play this game."

"Yes," Popuri scrunched up her nose in disgust, "but who would want to kiss a monkey?"

"True," Ann agreed. "That'd be pretty disgusting. Even for Karen."

The blonde flashed the red-head a glare. I could tell that everyone one around us was trying to hold in their laughter, except for the doctor, he wasn't really…humorous in that way. Why was he even here? When my eyes flickered over Elli's form, who was next to Doctor Tim, I figured out the reason why he was sticking around.

"Since its Kai's birthday, he gets to go first," Popuri said, flicking her hair over one shoulder.

Once everyone was situated on the blue carpet, Kai playfully crawled over to the bottle and spun it, winking at me. I heard a disgusted growl and looked over at the source. Rick was staring at Kai, his expression cold. If Kai noticed, he didn't let on.

As the bottle spun in too many circles to count, I took it in my best interest to play with the sparkling jewels on my silver backless slipper flats. After some time a forced cough echoed through the room and I looked up to see Kai staring at me from his standing position, tapping his foot. "You, me, and the closet. Awaaaaayyy!"

I giggled at his silliness as he helped me up and lead me to the closet. I could feel every single pair of eyes on me as I entered the tiny dark space with my best friend. I swore I heard Rick's light growling across the room. Ann came up from behind and gave me a knowing look. "You two kids have fun," she commented as she shut the door. A faint click implied that she had locked it.

Just great.

"So…" Kai began.

"So," I repeated.

"Tell me what you did to my bandana. _Or else,_" he demanded in a joking tone. "You and Ann killed it, didn't you?"

Cringing, I looked away from what I thought to be his face. I couldn't really tell, it was quite dark. "Is there a light in here?" I croaked. "I can't see a damn thing."

"No," he said quickly. "Don't be changing subjects now, Claire. Was that my bandana or what?"

"Yes," I squeaked after some time. Without waiting for a reaction I circled the perimeter of the square closet to find the damn light switch. I sighed in relief as I flipped the switch on. Light burned my eyes for a mere second until I got used to it.

I turned around to see Kai staring at me…_adoringly_. I took the chance to look into his eyes. Gasping, I saw the same emotions from this afternoon dancing around in his brown orbs. Lust was the biggest one that bothered me. Seeing these emotions again startled me speechless. I hadn't noticed them earlier, after what had happened at his restaurant, had I? No, I didn't think so.

Then why was he doing this now? Again? Did he…_lie_ to me? Was Kai experiencing emotions that were not appropriate for the _just friend's_ quota? I felt betrayed…but most of all I felt disgusted with myself. How could I let this happen? Didn't I tell him that we were _just friends_, nothing more?

"What are you thinking?" Kai asked softly, admiring my face.

"You _lied_ to me," I choked out. "_You __**lied**_." Suddenly I wasn't feeling guilty about cutting up his precious bandana anymore. I hoped someone shoved the little dirty pieces down his throat. Namely me. Because at this moment, I'd do anything.

He flinched then, knowing what I was talking about. He looked at me, his eyes full of something I couldn't identify. "Claire…I love you. I've always had."

"No you don't," I countered. "You don't."

"Yes I do," Kai reassured.

I didn't care if he believed me or not, I was more or less trying to convince myself that he wasn't in love with me. Didn't I have enough stress and love issues in my life as it was? Why did Kai have to add onto the growing list? If he loved me so much, why was he causing me all this trouble?

"Why couldn't you tell me this earlier? Why did you lie to me?" I asked him, betrayal evident in my voice. I was hurt, and I wanted answers. We probably only had a few minutes left in the closet, but that wasn't going to stop me. No way.

"I thought it was best to let you think I didn't love you, so then you wouldn't have to worry so much."

"Well, look where it got us, you stupid, stupid man," I hissed. "You have no brain!"

"I can't argue there," he chuckled, calm. "I fell in love with you."

"What's that supposed to mean? That I'm not worthy of someone _loving me_?!" I stomped my foot and glared at him, desperately trying to keep my temper. If I didn't cool it soon, I'd end up breaking his face.

Kai's eyes widened. He waved his hands in front of his face defensively. "Geez, Claire. _Relax!_ I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" I was aware that I was advancing on him, ready to strike at any wrong answer. What was coming over me? I felt as though someone was taking over my body, making me stand on the sidelines with nothing to do but watch what I was capable of. It was frightening. It was…exhilarating.

How could Kai stay so calm through all of this? Did he care that I was about to strangle the life out of him? That I was about to kick his tanned ass? No, he probably didn't. He would let me do anything I wanted to him, I knew that much. That was just Kai being Kai.

"Can't you see Claire? That _he_ still loves you? Or are you just too blind? Practically everyone can see it, why can't you? Even Popuri, for goddess sake, senses something between you two!"

I looked away, hurt. "Is it that obvious?" I asked, my voice soft, merely an octave above a whisper. Of course I knew the _he_ Kai was talking about.

He rolled his deep brown eyes. "Duh. The way Gray stares at you…it's almost…possessive. And you're always trying to avoid him. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to add two and two together."

I hated how I could never stay mad at Kai for long. It was strange, how only his voice could calm me down, even if it was him who had upset me. I felt so greedy for having two beautiful men love me so much. Kai deserved so much better. He deserved someone who could love him fully, not just as friends. For I knew I didn't deserve him, not even the friendship he was still providing me. How long had he been hurting, knowing that I was oblivious to his unrequited love? How long has his heart been crushed knowing that I loved someone else, and not him?

"Kai," I breathed. He reached for me then, hugging me to his chest. "I love him so much, so damn much."

He petted my hair, whispering in my ear. "I know you do, I know."

I breathed in his summery scent and looked up at his face. "Forgive me?" I pleaded. Heaven knew I needed his forgiveness, even though I didn't deserve it.

"What?" Kai laughed. "For my bandana? Eh…I'm gonna have to think about _that,_" he joked.

I laughed, but it sounded more like I was choking back a sob. It was surprising that I wasn't crying yet, I usually got so emotional at times like this. "No, you dimwit. You know what I mean."

"_Oh_." Kai frowned. "Why would I need to? You can't help who you fall in love with, Claire. I guess we just weren't meant for each other. Don't worry," he added as I opened my mouth to say something, "I'm sure I'll find someone."

"You better," I warned with a playful tone. "Or Ann might destroy your boxers next."

He faked a shiver. "As if I'd be afraid of _Ann_. We'll use her secret relationship with Cliff as blackmail."

I let out a loud, airy, care-free laugh. "I don't think she'd like it much if I turned against her. I'd be a traitor."

Before he could answer, the door cracked open and Ann poked her head in. "Ah," she sighed, "just making sure I didn't walk in on anything…private. Don't want everyone seeing you two in a…_uncomfortable _position." She smirked at the last part, which had me blushing.

As we walked towards the closet door, Kai pushed me closer to him, his hand tight around my waist. "I'm going to show off a little," he whispered in my ear. "Be greedy…"

I didn't register what he said to me until we were back in the room. I saw everyone staring at my waist. I looked down, shocked, for Kai had his arm wrapped around me still, intent on not letting go. "Kai…" I hissed.

I was aware of Rick's deep scowl, and Popuri's saddened face. Gray was next to Cliff, eyeing the way Kai was holding onto me almost…jealously. Gray was…jealous? Kai chuckled softly next to me, and I couldn't help but smile.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Very much so," he whispered. "It's like we've put on a show, and we're the main event."

All too suddenly, Ann was ripping me out of Kai's hold and ushering me out the door. "Kai, pick someone to spin the bottle next, Claire and I have some important matters to attend to."

The traveler shrugged and called out a name as we left the room. I heard a small squeak of protest and I couldn't help but think that Kai had chosen Mary to move the game along.

"To the kitchen," Ann announced as she dragged me down to the first floor. "I need details! …And brownies!"

_Brownies?_

Didn't we just have cake and ice cream? Boy, Ann could eat a lot. It wouldn't be very surprising if she were to eat a whole truck-full of – anything really.

As soon as we were standing in her blue-tiled kitchen, she started pestering me. "So what did you and Kai do in the closet? Anything juicy worth telling me about? Oh, you did something with him, didn't you! Didn't you?!"

"No, Ann. Calm down."

"What!?" she slammed the brownie mix she had gotten out of one of the cabinets on the counter. "What do you mean, you did nothing?"

"Precisely that. We didn't do _anything_. Talked, mostly," I said, looking for a mixing bowl. If we came in here to make brownies, then I'd help do it. But if Ann was going to bother me with unwanted questions, I might have to shove her face in the brownie mix.

"Hmph," she placed her hands on her hips, "so I guess this means Kai isn't a potential boyfriend?" I knew she knew the answer to that, so I didn't reply to that question right away. The red-head looked so disappointed about that new-found information that I didn't feel the need to make it worse and confirm her statement.

Ann dumped the ingredients from the red brownie box into the bowl I had just found and added the much needed egg, oil, and water to the mix. Once she was done beating the chocolatey blend, I handed her the square pan that was on top of the stove. It was nice, working in this comfortable silence. You never really found any quiet time with Ann near your side.

After the pan was put into the pre-heating oven (Ann believed that things didn't need to "pre-heat") we sat down at the dark wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. The red-head let out a long sigh and said, "I love to bake. It relieves stress."

I looked around the room before I answered. The kitchen wasn't too big, but it wasn't small, either. Light blue tiles made up the walls while the floor was of shiny white linoleum. The kitchen table was made of dark oak wood, with just a hint of a red tint across the smooth and glossy surface. It all made me wish I had a kitchen in my own house.

"I'm not very good at cooking," I announced, staring intently at the family picture of a young-looking Ann, Doug, and her mother hanging on the wall opposite of me. What was her mother's name? Anna? Annie? Yeah, Annie, that was it. "But it's amazing how others can be so talented at it. You're born with the knack for food, I guess."

"Got that right, Blondie," Ann grinned. "I've been cooking since I was in diapers. And that's a fact."

I didn't doubt that any.

A sudden silence washed down on us. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was comfortable. But I think having any sort of quietness near Ann would be relaxing.

Sorry, Ann.

Not really.

"Kai mad at us about his bandana?" she asked, stretching.

"I don't think so," I tapped my chin, "but he didn't really say. It was surprising that he didn't freak out on me or something."

The red-head rolled her eyes. "Yeah, 'cuz you're _you_, Kai isn't going to yell at his precious Claire. Now _I_ on the other hand…" she trailed off, grinning. "I'll be in trouble."

"Not if I can help it," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Tell me what happened in the there," Ann ordered seriously, changing subjects.

Of course I knew what she was talking about, she wanted to know what happened between Kai and I in the closet. It's not like I didn't _want_ to tell her, I wanted to tell Ann everything. But it was just so complicated. I knew Ann would understand, but I didn't think _I_ would be able too.

As in, why did Kai fall in love with me, and not somebody else? Will he find someone else? Someone better than me? Why can't I grow up and talk to Gray? Why can't _Gray _grow up and talk to _me_? What will happen to Mary? Didn't she and Gray have something before I interrupted everyone's lives? Why did my life have to be so complicated? What did I do to deserve such a messed up love life?

All these questions were left unanswered. How was I supposed to find the answer to all of them? I needed help. Even though Ann's obnoxious plans never really worked out in the end, her advice was like medicine, it cured anything she gave it too. I needed Ann's advice.

"My life sucks," I finally said.

"Tell me about it," Ann stared at my face, wide-eyed.

"Huh?" I raised a brow, confused. "Wait a second…did I just say all of that _out loud?!_"

"Pretty much," she snickered. "I agree with you though, I do give the greatest advice."

I groaned.

"Hey," Ann defended, "if it was anyone else I'm sure they've had sent you to the loony bin by now."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"I'm kidding, Claire. Ease up a little. Now, tell me what happened in the closet."

I stifled a laugh as she clasped her hands together on her lap while she crossed her legs, professional-like. But despite her goofy appearance, I didn't waste any time in explaining the events that had taken place in the closet with Kai and I.

"What do you mean he's just gonna let you go?!" Ann bounced up, her wavy hair whispering across her face. "If you want something you have to fight for it! Kai _is_ an idiot!"

"Why should he fight for someone who doesn't love him the same way he loves them?"

She scrunched up her nose, deep in thought. Finally, she let out a long sigh and said, "We need to find Kia a woman."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Why? He's just going to leave at the end of summer." I knew I sounded bitter.

"Mary," she snapped her fingers, ignoring my previous statement. "I see the way he looks at her. _Perfecto!_"

"Be careful Ann," I warned. "I don't want Mary being Kai's rebound girl or anything like that. Especially if it's my fault. I don't think I can handle it."

"Oh puh-lease," she waved a hand at me. "Like I'd let that happen."

"I suppose. I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of my mistakes. I definitely know Kia isn't taking this well, even if he acts like it doesn't bother him. And Mary….I don't really know what's going on in her mind."

"No one really does," Ann commented. "But we all love her either way."

"Of course."

There was a soft _ping_ and the red-head was practically skipping towards the oven, her yellow dress swishing from side to side. She brought out an oven mitt and carefully opened the oven door. My senses were immediately attacked by the scent of chocolate fudge brownies.

"You still love him," Ann stated as she set the hot pan of brownies on the flat blue counter.

Without skipping a beat, I replied, "Yes."

"I don't know _why_ though," she joked, turning around to face me. "He's always so angsty and crap. Should have seen him the first year he came here. And it doesn't help that his grandfather his so…strict. You should have heard Gray rant to me about him. It's ri-damn-diculous."

I flinched. He was probably all angsty because of how we left our relationship. Well, rather, how _I_ ran off before I could say goodbye. Could it be possible for me to feel so damn guilty at once?

"I wish we would have left each other on better terms," I said softly.

"Can't change the past, instead, help shape the future."

I stare at the red-head, wide-eyed, shocked and amazed. "Wow, Ann. That was pretty deep." I never heard anything like _that_ out of her mouth before.

"I know," she laughed. "Ever had frozen brownies?" I shook my head. "Well, they're really good. All you do is shove the pan of brownies into the freezer, and in about an hour- VIOLA! You got yourself some frozen brownies."

"Sounds good to me," I offered. "Do it."

After the brownies were put into the freezer, Ann and I made our way back upstairs, to where everyone was _still_ playing that stupid game, _Seven Minutes in Heaven._

Just as we entered the guest room everybody was in, they all grabbed Ann to spin the bottle. And do you want to know who it landed on?

_Kai._

Unbelievable.

I sat down and listened to Elli fill me in on who went into the closet with who while Ann and I were away making brownies. I laughed when she said Rick ended up having to go into the closet with Kai, but Popuri wouldn't let them step a foot inside, so Rick had to spin the bottle again. I asked her who she went in with and Elli told me that her and Doctor Tim went in together once and talked about a little bit of everything; all that Rick talked about was chickens, eggs, and or Kai the whole time she was in there with him; and Kai talked about girl troubles.

Oh, I wonder _who_ Kai was talking about. It wasn't hard to guess.

"Who did Gray go in with?" I asked quietly, trying not to sound…_jealous_. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him talking with Cliff and Rick, looking extremely bored.

Elli smiled, "Oh, Gray? He went in once with Popuri, and once with Mary. And do you want to know what Popuri said about him?"

"What?" I asked, curious. I looked over at Gray once more, but only to blush and quickly turn my head when I realized that he caught me staring at him.

"She said that if he wasn't taken, that every girl would be all over him. Something about how handsome and gentleman-like he is. Claire, do you know who he's dating? Popuri wouldn't tell me."

"I'm not sure," I shook my head. "I'm as clueless as you are, Elli."

Just as Elli gave me a smile and shrugged, Popuri unlocked the closet door to let out two grinning idiots, Kai and Ann. Oh no, what did they say to each other in there? Did they plan something?

Well this couldn't end well.

"I pick," Ann scanned the crowd, her eyes meeting mine, "Claire."

Crap on my life.

"What if-"

"No if's, and's, or but's about it, Claire. Spin the bottle," Karen ordered.

I gulped and obeyed Karen's order, not wanting to start an uproar over a silly game. As I reached for the bottle, I could see Ann sit down next to Gray, shooing Cliff away. Kai sat next to Mary across the room on one of the guest beds and whispered in her ear. Whatever he said made her frown slightly, but she gave him a smile as soon as he looked down at her.

What the hell were they up to?

I narrowed my eyes slightly, watching Ann suspiciously as I spun the empty green wine bottle gently, waiting for it to stop. Maybe it would end up pointing at an empty spot and I could just…pass my turn onto someone else.

Yeah, I wasn't going to push my luck with that one.

I glared daggers at Kai as the bottle slowed to a turtle-like pace, only inches away from stopping. All the traveler did was smirk at me, folding his arms across his chest. His light brown shirt was wrinkly, but that wasn't my fault. He needed to start taking better care of his clothes, instead of just squishing everything up into a ball and then throwing them in his dresser.

Stupid Kai. He and Ann were definitely up to something. If I-

"Claire," Ann shook my shoulders, "_guess who you get to go in the closet with_!!"

"WHO?!" I all but yelled out, causing everyone in the room to jump slightly.

She moved out of my range of sight and looked down at the bottle, which was pointing at a very bewildered looking Gray. My eyes widened while my throat tightened; I couldn't breathe. _This_ was what they were planning? They were deliberately putting me in a claustrophobic-like closet with Gray when I was most clearly not ready to confront him yet?!

_Alone_.

Alone with Gray!

The room started to spin, everyone's faces, Kai, Mary, Ann, Popuri, Rick, Elli, Cliff, Doctor Tim; they were all twirling around, unrecognizable. The only face I could make was Gray's, and he was staring at me with such intensity that I thought I was going to melt into a tiny puddle at his feet.

Why couldn't we just speak here, alone? And not in a closet? I would go with that more willingly. I should have never told Ann about my troubles, I could have handled them better than this!

"All right," Karen's haughty voice sent me back to reality, "you two know the rules. In the closet, now!"

Gray went willingly.

I did not.

"Listen here, Ann and _Kai!_ I know what you two are doing and if you think-"

Before I could finish my threat, Ann pushed me towards the closet, with my protesting and thrashing my arms around the whole way.

"Ann, you better watch your back, I know where you sleep!"

It didn't seem like any of threats affected her much, for she slammed the closet door in my face and locked it tight. I stood stock still, not saying a word, not doing anything. I didn't want to even look at Gray at this point, let alone know what he was thinking and or staring at.

Dear goddess.

Was he staring at my-

"There's frozen brownies downstairs, everyone!" _Ann_. Well she didn't waste much time with her sneaky little plan, now did she? How long had it been? Five minutes? A little less, I thought.

I pressed my ear against the closet door, trying to hear what was going on in the room more clearly.

"Wicked! I _love_ frozen brownies!" It sounded very much like that idiot, Kai.

I heard a few more low murmurs and mumbles, before what sounded like the guest room door slammed shut.

Oh great.

Now I _really_ was alone.

With Gray.

Did brownies really do that to people? With their chocolatey goodness and moist texture? Did people forget very important details when it came to the chocolate treats? Like Claire being locked in a closet unwillingly with someone she clearly didn't have the courage to speak with right now?!

Ann and Kai were going to get it _so_ bad. They wouldn't know what hit them until it slapped them across the face. Literally.

I lifted myself off the door, very careful with my movements. I felt his eyes on me the whole time. What was he thinking? His face, what expression was he wearing? Suddenly, everything I _didn't_ want to know about him I actually_ wanted_ to know now. Like – was he really staring at my butt earlier? Is he _still_ staring at my butt? My face flushed at the thought.

"Claire."

His voice was like honey, slowly leaking through the fog of silence that had fallen upon us.

I froze, my breath hitched, my mind fogged. The way he said my name made me weak at the knees. Even when I was mad at him, he still had that affect on me. Being able to say something in that sexy, deep, and gruff voice of his made my brain turn to mush. It should be against the law to have such a sexy voice like Gray's, it was absolutely lethal.

"Turn around."

I was very aware of my heart beating against my ribcage, threatening to burst through my chest. I wouldn't doubt that he could hear my heart hammering away; it was about the _only_ thing I could hear.

Despite my inward protests my mind was giving my body, my legs acted on their own accord and slowly swiveled in a small circle until I knew I was facing him. The light wasn't on; I couldn't see his face, only the outline of his body.

"Claire," he repeated. "Talk to me."

Well if I wasn't hyperventilating yet, I sure was now.

Gray wanted me to talk to him. In this closet; not to mention a _dark_ closet. Would it help if the lights were on? Or would it make things worse? I didn't really know, the after affects of Gray's voice was coming into effect and it was very hard for me to think straight, let alone know if lights would help the situation I was in at the moment.

"Lights?" I managed to squeak out. Extending my arms out, I began my hunt for the dreaded light switch. If only I could remember where I found the damned thing last time…

I didn't get too far, for Gray had taken it upon himself to look for it, brushing past me lightly, his trademark scent engulfing my senses. _Spicy mint._

I was all too aware of his large hand grabbing on to my small arm tenderly, as if he would break me at any given moment. It took him only seconds to find the switch and before he flicked it on, he gave my arm a loving squeeze.

The very dull light snapped on, causing me to squint and look away from the humming bulb. Had it been overused tonight? Certainly it wasn't making that humming noise earlier when Kai and I were in here. No, I hadn't noticed it; I was too busy paying attention to the emotions on Kai's face to notice the quiet buzzing noise the dulling light bulb was emitting.

My thoughts were snapped back to the present, where Gray was softly stroking my face with his free hand, since his other was still wrapped possessively around my left arm. His finger traced down my cheek towards my jaw line, ending at the tip of my chin. His touch left a flame so unbearably hot that I could hardly stand it. His minty breath only made it worse when he breathed down on me, sending that same flame to set my whole body ablaze.

Gray tilted my chin sideways, my whole head moving with the simple pressure of his finger. I could feel his hot breath on my neck as he leaned in closer, his breath tickling my ear. He whispered to me. "Claire…" He laughed quietly. "Are you going to look at me?"

Before moving away from me, he dared to leave a trail of hot kisses down the side of my face, stopping at my neck. There, he pushed the turtleneck part of my dress down an inch, testing my limits.

As if I had any when it came to him.

When I made no move to stop him, he continued to push the thin fabric down my neck, kissing every inch of skin that was uncovered along the way. When the turtleneck wouldn't move down any farther I let out a sigh of frustration and Gray chuckled against my skin, causing me to shutter involuntarily. Without losing contact with my skin, he kissed his way back up my neck, pushing the fabric back up his trail.

His palm was still on my arm, but I noticed that he had inched it up to my shoulder, where it was now laying comfortably. I couldn't help but rest my head on his large, rough and calloused hand, letting out a small sigh in the process. Gray lifted his head from my face and gave me a smile, his dark blue eyes sparkling with adoration. Returning the soft smile, I lifted my right hand to stroke his cheek, causing his eyes to flutter.

"I've missed you," he murmured, his eyes closed. Gray brought the hand that wasn't on my shoulder and placed it gently on mine that was still stroking his face, pressing it against his cheek. "Do you know how hard it was to see you _everywhere_ and not being able to touch you like this?"

A blush found its way across my cheeks, and I was very aware that Gray was staring at me, waiting for me to answer him. How could I form words when his body heat was distracting me so? So I took the time to just look at him, really take him for the first time tonight.

He was wearing his UMA hat, but that was a huge given. His dark green button down shirt was untucked, the first three buttons left unbuttoned to reveal his broad chest just slightly. The sleeves were pushed up past his elbows, showing off his well-toned, fairly tanned arms. His loose-fitting jeans were a dark blue color while his _Doc Marten's_ were a dark brown. The shoes were gigantic, but he always had big feet.

I wasn't going to lie; Gray looked undeniably handsome in dark green. That was definitely his color. He looked positively…_sexy_, and I wasn't embarrassed to admit that.

"What do you want from me Gray?" I breathed, finally able to speak. "You are so damn confusing, did you know that?"

Taking both of his hands in mine, I placed them at his sides, where they were going to stay. I didn't mean for it to even get this far, but I was never really able to refuse him.

"I saw you staring at me earlier," he said softly.

"No I wasn't!" I quickly countered. _Way to change subjects, Gray._

He puckered a brow, still staring down at me with hot intensity. Crossing his arms, he sauntered around the tiny closet, seeming to be deep in thought.

"You've been…acting strange lately whenever I'm around. Do you…do you regret coming to Mineral Town?" There was a hint of sadness in his voice, and I hated that I was the one who caused it. How could he think that I regretted coming here? Of course…in the beginning I was slightly angry and wanted to move back to the city, but after living here for a while, I decided that Mineral Town was my home now, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

"Not in the slightest."

He sighed in relief and looked at me, his ocean blue orbs boring into mine. I fidgeted under his gaze and looked away, my face flushed. Gray stayed silent, and I was thankful for that. It wasn't like him to be so talkative, it was surprising. I was usually the one to talk his ear off, going on about things that weren't necessarily important, just things that I thought I needed to get off of my chest.

"Why didn't you call me? Or write?" I questioned, my voice soft and low. It would be a miracle if he heard me.

He knew what I was talking about.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore," he answered. "I thought it would be better between us, if I didn't call or write to you; it would have made things even more difficult for the both of us."

"I suppose you're right," I sighed. "But it hurt so much when you left me, Gray. I hope you know that. There wasn't a day that went by that you didn't cross my mind."

"I know," he adjusted his hat to cover his gorgeous eyes, "it hurt me too, Claire. It hurt me so damn much to leave you. I thought I'd never see you again."

I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth, shaking my head. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"What?"

"The one you didn't answer: What do you _want_ Gray? I'm sick of playing these games with you. You have to be the most confusing person I have ever met. And, please, just answer the question, I won't stand for anything less." I crossed my arms and stared at him expectantly, even though his head was turned to the side and slightly downwards, his hat obscuring his face from view.

He started shaking his head. Was that….was it a bad thing? Did I say something wrong? Ask something wrong? Oh good goddess he needed to stop shaking his head like that!

"Claire," Gray lifted his gaze to mine. I couldn't possibly look away; his stare was so passionate that it drew me in, locking my eyes with his. Hypnotic, almost. "Don't you see? I want _you_, Claire. I want you, _I love you_."

And just like that, everything I had felt towards him since I moved here diminished and was replaced with pure love for this beautiful man in front of me. How could I have ever doubted my love for him? And his for me?

Forget punishing Ann and Kai; when I saw them, I was probably going to hug them to death for their silly ways to get people back together. They were positively brilliant.

Before my mind could register anything, I had flung myself at Gray, locking my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him. Gray sighed into my hair as I snuggled against his chest, resting my head on his shoulder. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours, until Gray mumbled into my hair.

"What?" I raised my head from his shoulder to look at his face.

"Raspberries," he repeated. I giggled. Of course he was talking about my shampoo and conditioner; he loved that smell of raspberries. Gray ran one of his large hands through my hair, which sent tingles down my spine, a distant look on his face. "Goddess, I love you."

I tightened my hold around him as he said this, afraid that this was all a dream, a beautiful, beautiful dream. "I love you," I breathed, kissing his nose. Placing my hands on either side of his face, I placed feathery kisses on both his cheeks. "I love you," a kiss to his forehead. "I love you," and, finally, I kissed his lips. They were soft and warm, inviting; and I couldn't help but think how perfectly they fit against mine.

My lungs were on fire, I needed to breathe. But I didn't want to break apart, didn't want to lose him again. It was he who broke away for much needed air, and I frowned slightly at the sudden loss of contact with him, but I took in a large breath, filling my lungs with the stuffy oxygen the small closet provided.

I was surprised I didn't dive in to kiss him again right afterwards. Instead, I swiped my hand across his head, knocking that silly hat off. It landed on the closet floor with a soft _thud_. He didn't seem to mind, though.

"I love you," I sighed once more, burying my face in the crook of his neck. I didn't care if I was overusing the three-worded phrase; I was making up for lost time. And boy was there a lot of time to make up for.

Suddenly, _somehow_, I ended up against the wall. It didn't particularly hurt, but the light switch jabbing me in the back was quite painful. I shimmied over a few inches until my back was free of the pesky control, looking back at Gray. He had my right leg hiked around his waist, the other dangling loosely around his leg.

Well this was…interesting. Especially since I was wearing a dress… Hmm…

I cocked my head to the side, raising my eyebrow at his actions. Gray was acting so unlike himself, it was…scandalous, absolutely shocking. And to think I liked it!

"Gray…what are you doing…?" I let the question trail off, unsure of what his _actual_ intentions were.

His eyes were glued to my covered neck, a frown on his face. Slowly, he traced random shapes into my skin, down my arm. Even through clothing, I could feel the trail of fire his finger was leaving, so intensely hot. As soon as he reached my wrist, he grabbed it abruptly, giving it a light squeeze. This sent tingles up my arm, practically numbing it.

And suddenly I couldn't take it anymore.

Ripping my hand away from his, I fisted them both into his reddish brown hair. He was taken aback by my sudden boldness, but soon took matters into his own hands. He crashed his lips into mine and I was surprised at his aggressiveness, Gray was always so gentle with me, like he would break me at any second.

Kissing Gray was something I couldn't put into words; it was always so different every time our lips connected. But this kiss was different from all of the others; this kiss was full of more love, passion, and most of all – _need_. I tightened my grip in his hair, bringing him closer to me. Gray was pushing me into the wall even more so now, and I was very aware of his hand inching up my thigh, under my dress.

I inhaled sharply and Gray grinned against my lips, wrapping my other leg around his waist while shoving me up the wall. And he was placing kisses down the side of my face again, cursing under his breath as he landed upon the fabric covering my neck.

"You just had to wear this…this turtleneck dress-_thing_, didn't you?" he practically growled.

I blinked and looked down at him through half-lidded eyes, questioning his sudden outburst. "Oh well," I whispered, kissing the side of his mouth, down his jaw-line. I moved down his neck, leaving buttery kisses in my wake, until he pulled me away, giving me a glare.

"You better stop that if you know what's good for you," he warned, his eyes dark.

To my utter disappointment he picked me off the wall and set me down as if I weighed nothing at all. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, impatient. How could he just stop something like that so abruptly? What were we going to do know, sit here and twiddle our thumbs?

"Where's Ann when you need her?" I grumbled, disappointment evident in my voice.

"I don't think she's coming back, but I'm pretty sure I can get us out of here," Gray said, planting a kiss on my temple before returning his attention on the door next to us.

_He can get us out of here?_

Why didn't he say that before?

Oh, that sneaky little…!

Gray pounded on the door in a few different spots near the doorknob before jiggling the brass contraption vigorously. When _that_ didn't work, he ended up kicking the thing with those long, muscular legs of his…which made the door swing open with a loud _creak_. I was surprised that it didn't fall off its hinges; Gray kicked it pretty hard…

"You mean to tell me that you could have just kicked the door open and then we wouldn't have had to be in there?"

He nodded at me, a smirk on his face. I narrowed my eyes at his back as we left the closet behind, entering the guest room.

"All the closets here are like that," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "…Sorry?"

"You aren't sorry," I rolled my eyes playfully.

"I guess I'm not," he laughed. "So…do I get a kiss for breaking us out?"

I gave him a smile before grabbing his arm, pulling him close. My lips lingered near his for a fraction of a second, before I suddenly moved them up to his forehead, kissing him there instead. Gray growled in frustration, which only made me giggle. He deserved to be teased, especially after keeping me in that closet when we didn't need to be.

But I guess we wouldn't be doing this right now if that hadn't happened.

"Leave the hat," I mumbled against his forehead, ruffling his hair. "You look more handsome without it."

I flounced out of the room, feeling more cheerful than I had in ages. And I couldn't help but notice the blushing Gray I had left behind, stuttering odd nonsense before finally realizing that I had left him alone…

--

**Hmmm... I TOLD YOU THEY WOULD GET THEIR MOMENT! Didn't I? :3 It wasn't too mushy, was it? Review and tell me what you think!**

**Oh, yeah, Kai gets another purple bandana. Just guess who makes him one. I'll give you two guesses. :D**

**ACK! School starts Wednesday, oh noezzz! :( I'm going to be a junior in high school, think of allll the homework! No free time. v.v**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ahhh! I'm so SORRY! :( This took me forever to write, and I'm deeply, truly sorry for that. Between school, homework, work, and getting ready for homecoming, well, I really haven't had time. And it didn't help that I had a huge case of writer's block for the longest time. And what do you guys get for the longest wait in history? ...Around 17 pages. Yeah. Sorry about that, again.**

**But anyway, I hope you all like it as much as I do. I had fun writing this chapter, until the very end, but you'll get to that part.**

**No, I'm not giving anything away. Wait -- am I? NOPE.**

**And yeah, this flashback in the beginning, it's just _there_. DoubleKK brought it up in a review she left me, saying how it would be nice to have another flashback between Gray and Claire, so I happily obliged. I really wanted to write their junior prom, and this flashback was just itching to be written. The lovely DoubleKK just kicked my butt into gear on that one. ;D So, thank you!  
Warning: This flashback has just like -- an innuendo of sorts. It isn't anything horribly detailed, it's just that -- and innuendo. But if things of that sort make you uncomfortable, by all means, just skip it. Wow, I've been having to state this warning a lot, haven't I?**

**Ugh, no review replies this chapter, sorry about that as well. Just know that I read every review and that I am very happy with the feedback. I love you all. :D**

**Someone brought up the fact that they think that Karen is a little...witchy, and that they didn't really like that. It's just how I picture her, because in the game it seems as though she talks to you as you are below her and that she is better than everyone else. Of course, I do know that Karen has her moments of true nice-ness. Yeah. :P**

**Oh, before I forget. I wrote a little StuxMay oneshot a little while ago, so if you like that pairing, go give that a read! Annnnd, my Kaire _four-shot_ is posted, just for all to know. I'm currently _trying_ to finish the third part, but it's giving me mega problems.**

**That is all.**

**--**

_How we converted our gym into a winter wonderland was beyond me, but we had done it. The large gym was covered in white; we even covered the floor with a sparkly white carpet-like material. Silver and white balloons hung from the ceiling in clusters, glittery silver streamers dancing around them. The tables were covered with glossy white table cloths, accented with silver snowflake table toppers. White fluff balls were everywhere, gleaming in the silver light. The dance floor was even covered in white; to look like an ice-skating rink._

_Gray and I walked through the snowflake-shaped arch, my arm locked around his. We were there early, only a handful of other people were there, talking amongst themselves. We were both part of student council, and we had to arrive here early to make sure all of the last minute decorating was finished before any students showed up._

_It was our junior year in high school, our first prom, and in a few months it would be our third year anniversary. It was weird, almost. I never thought that I would have a steady boyfriend, as handsome and so amazing like Gray, for this long._

_"Here _she_ comes," Gray whispered into my ear, giving my arm a small squeeze. I looked straight ahead as he said this, my eyes locking on Kayli's oncoming form. Her smile was directed at Gray, and I knew he noticed the way I tightened my hold on him possessively. He and I both knew that Kayli liked Gray a little bit more than she should have, and even though I trusted Gray, I didn't particularly trust Kayli. _

_She was a senior, and student council president. She was a nice girl, I had to admit, but she got rather annoying after awhile; her bubbly and hyperactive nature got to be a bit much to handle. Ever since she "accidentally" made a move on more-than-oblivious Gray a few months ago and proceeded to tell me that she "didn't know that we had a __**thing**__" after being caught, Kayli and I haven't been on very sturdy terms._

_Which meant for awkward situations._

_"Gray! So nice to see you!" the brunette grinned as she stopped in front of us, bouncing on the heels of her black stilettos. I faked a cough and leaned into Gray a little more, making sure she actually saw me. Cause, you know, I might have been invisible to her or something. "Oh," she announced, disappointment evident in her voice, "Claire! How are you?"_

_"Fine. You?" I wanted her to go away, I didn't care if she was student council president or not, she needed to just find herself a guy her own age, and single._

_"Good, good. It's my last prom; I hope this one is fun!"_

_Gray grunted, probably thinking the same thing I was. We both wanted her to go bother someone else. I knew it sounded mean, but seriously, spend one second with her and you'll want to punch her in her pretty little face._

_Kayli laughed nervously. "Yeah, well, I'll see you two later, have fun!" She took off, but not before "accidentally" dropping her black clutch and bending down to pick it up, practically showing a full view of her ass to Gray. He snorted and looked away, patting my arm when I tensed. Kayli probably wore that slutty, gaudy purple _thing_ just for this purpose._

_I was going to drop kick her in the ass if she did that again._

_"Relax, you're practically growling," Gray said softly._

_"So," I snapped, "she did that on purpose!"_

_"I know," he agreed, steering me towards a small group of our friends from student council. "Don't mind her; you know I only have eyes for you."_

_"You look at my butt when I bend down?"_

_He choked, "Uh…no… What?!"_

_I smirked, "I'm kidding with you, handsome."_

_Gray blushed, as well as myself. I always caught myself off- guard when I said things like that, apparently Gray as well. But I shouldn't be so embarrassed about stating the obvious, should I?_

_"Yo, Gray, what's up?" Kevin, one of Gray's friends greeted, patting Gray on the back. "Lookin' good, man," he joked. The blonde gave me a wink, "And how could I forget the lady friend?"_

_Kevin was a senior, his girlfriend Lindsey the same age. Gray and I met them both in student council, which was turning out to be a very fun time indeed. Lindsey had ran for president, but unfortunately, lost to Kayli._

_You all probably know who I voted for._

_"Hey Kevin," I waved. But, as usual, he pulled me into a bear hug, almost squishing my organs together. Ouch._

_I saw Lindsey roll her eyes, her black curls bouncing across her forehead, a smile on her face. "Kevin, put the poor girl down before you flatten her into a pancake."_

_"Yes Love," he obeyed, setting me down so that I could finally breathe. "Sorry Claire."_

_"It's okay," I said weakly. "Still not the fluffy, cakey goodness everybody loves."_

_The blonde senior chortled, slapping Gray on the back. My boyfriend didn't even flinch. It was surprising, Kevin was rather burly. "She keeps getting better and better, man."_

_"I know," Gray announced proudly, grinning like a love-struck idiot. I blushed while Lindsey giggled. "Oh, isn't that Joe and Lexi?"_

_"Oh," Kevin's girlfriend squealed, "it is! Kevin, let's go say hi! Catch ya later, Claire!"_

_"Bye Gray," Kevin waved, Lindsey dragging him off to meet the newcomers._

_Gray nodded in their direction before breathing out a deep sigh. "Ouch."_

_Ah, so that clap on the back _did_ hurt._

_"Kevin get carried away with his strength again, Gray?"_

_He rolled his eyes, "He always does."_

_I laughed, throwing my head back. "Poor you."_

_"Yes," I felt his lips on the side of my throat, "poor me."_

_I shuddered involuntarily, dropping my head back down to stare at him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing the corner of my mouth. I felt him smile against my skin, loving my reaction. I always felt…embarrassed when he did this to me in public…I got all -- well…flushed and giddy._

_"PDA!" someone yelled across the gymnasium. Since it was almost empty, the voice echoed across the large room._

_"Shut up, Kevin," Gray growled._

_The blonde laughed, shaking his head as he directed his attention back to his girlfriend talking to Lexi and Joe, two other juniors who were in student council._

_By now more students were arriving, talking and laughing amongst their groups of friends as they entered through the sparkling white snowflake arch. The DJ was still setting up, so the only sound in the gym was people chattering._

_"Wanna go get our picture taken?" my boyfriend whispered, his breath hot against my ear._

_"…Sure," I breathed. "Better get it done early, huh?"_

_Gray chuckled, "Of course."_

_--_

_I let out a sigh of relief as I entered the girls' restroom. It was freezing in here, and that was a good thing. The gym was a baking oven, which was ironic due to the fact that it was _winter_-themed, not summer._

_Grimacing, I fought my way into the handicap stall, my poofy dressed deeming it worthy of being big enough for letting me pass. _

_Stupid poofy dress._

_I didn't really need to go to the bathroom; I just needed to relax in some cold air before going back into the gym. Gray had the idea of dancing with me through __**every**__ song that played, and, quite frankly, I was tired. And hot. And sweaty._

_Ew._

_How he wasn't sweating was beyond me; it seemed as though he could go on all night._

_Yay me._

_I pressed myself against the wall, gasping as the cold concrete hit my bare back. I swiped my hand across my forehead, disgusted with how much perspiration came off with it. Yuck._

_The door to the bathroom swung open, the music from the gym rushed in, filling my ears with unwanted rap music, along with two chatty girls. Sounded like they were gossiping or something like that. I tried not to listen too intently, I didn't particularly like gossip; caused too much drama._

_But __**who**__ they were talking about caught my undivided attention._

_"Did you see Gray Walters yet?" One of the girls asked, her voice haughty. "Total hunk!"_

_I recognized that snobby, high-pitched nasally voice – Lily Sanchez. I never liked her. And the way this conversation was heading made me boil with an unknown emotion._

_"Yeah, I soooo agree! But I just don't understand why he's still with _her_. Ugh, can't he see that she's _plain_? I would make such a better girlfriend! I could give him what he _really_ wants." Her little henchman in crime, Christy, added._

_"Anyone _but_ Claire could. Seriously, I heard that they haven't even gone all the way yet! How preposterous! I can't even imagine why he's still with her; he could do so much better. Three years, Christy! Three years!"_

_Tears were welling in my eyes, and it took my whole being not to let them fall. I tried grasping for something around me, but only met cold air. I was going to choke. I was going to choke on my own silent sobs._

_Was I really that plain as they were stating? I knew I wasn't pretty, I was ordinary. But hearing it coming from Lily and Christy, it made it all the more real to me. So many questions started flooding my mind, questions that I had pushed away for so long._

_Why _was_ Gray still with me? He called me beautiful all of the time, but did he really mean it? Could Lily, or anyone else for that matter, be better for him? He was so gorgeous, it was only right to have an equally gorgeous companion hanging off his arm, instead of boring, ordinary Claire._

_And how could Lily know if we had gone all the way or not? Certainly no one knew anything about our private relationship, it was _private_ after all. I wish I could have went out there and knocked Lily around, telling her that, indeed, Gray and I _had_ gone all the way. _

_It was just a few months ago that we had done it. Made love, that is. We hadn't really planned on it, it just happened. We hadn't even talked about the topic before then, either. I knew we both wanted it sometime soon, but Gray was just so…shy, I suppose. It sounded weird…it was more my role to be shy towards him. I was the instigator, of course. Gray wanted to wait for the right moment, he wanted it to be perfect and romantic, any hopeless romantic would have swooned over his gentleness towards the situation. But, being the hormonal teenage girl that I was, I got what I wanted, but Gray was always so tender. I was shocked; he seemed the type to be a bit more, well – _rough_._

"_And have you seen that necklace around her neck?! It must have cost Gray a fortune to buy her that! And she parades it around like it's the most precious thing in the world!" Lily's nasally voice invaded my thoughts, bringing me back to painful reality._

_I clutched the heart-shaped pendant dangling around my neck absentmindedly, savoring the cool of the silver metal against my hot skin. Of course this was precious to me; Gray had given it to me on our second-year anniversary. But I never paraded it around, gloating. I did the exact opposite, really. I hid it from hungry eyes, for the sole purpose of what Lily and Christy were doing right now._

"_Well, I do know one thing," Christy remarked. "Gray is freaking loaded! And too think I thought I was out of his league when I first met him!" She laughed once, Lily joining in a few seconds later._

"_I saw him alone earlier, wonder where Claire ran off to?" Christy giggled, unlady-like snorts escaping her mouth every so often._

"_I don't really know, and I don't care. We should go see if he's still alone, Christy."_

_They left without another word, their giggles drowning in the music blaring from the gym._

_How unobservant they were, not noticing the girl of conversation was in the stall behind them, quietly sobbing to herself._

_I stumbled out of the bathroom stall, wiping my face pathetically. Why rush back to Gray when I knew they were right? Maybe if I stayed cooped up in this bathroom, Gray would find someone better._

_Hah._

_**Get yourself together. Stop being so pathetic, Claire.**_

_Easy for you to say. I'm talking to myself._

_**Oh well. Fight for your man, don't let those two get in the way! You're better than that!**_

_I suppose…_

_**Yeah, you better suppose! Now make yourself look presentable and get back out there and show them who's **_**really**_** dating Gray!**_

_Talking to myself might have created some questions for therapists, but I was right. I needed to suck it up, go out there, and show all of them who Gray belonged to. Or, rather, who he was dating. I didn't like the term "belonged to", it sounded…degrading. Everyone belonged to themselves._

_Stepping in front of the bathroom mirror, I grimaced. The little makeup that my mother forced upon my face was slowly smearing, and my eyes were red and puffy from crying. I hastily ripped a piece of paper towel from the dispenser and placed it under the faucet, getting it damp. _

_Working on my face, I couldn't help but notice how my curly hair was starting to frizz from the heat. It was half up, the loose wavy curls cascading down my back in a pool of dirty-blonde hair. The lack of volume in my hair wasn't doing anything for my self-confidence._

_Frowning, I took a step back away from the mirror and smoothed out my dress. It was a teal color, strapless. The intricate little flowers on the embodied top descended down to the _

_sparkly full tulle bottom; whenever I stepped into the light, I sparkled. I even had body glitter on to add to that affect._

_After I deemed myself worthy enough to return to the gym, I took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, ready to confront Gray…_

_He wasn't hard to find._

_He was against the far wall, his foot propped up behind him and his arms crossed. Gray looked positively _bored and outstandingly gorgeous in his black tux.

_My blood boiled in rage at the site of Lily and Christy next to him, chatting his ear off. I knew that he was aware of their constant longing stares, their flirting. A blind man could notice that. And that was saying a lot, since – well, blind men couldn't see._

_Wow, that was a dumb statement._

_I took a deep breath of reassurance and sauntered my over to him. Gray's deep blue eyes brightened at the sight of me and my heart swelled with pure love and joy at the simple gesture. _

_"What took you so long?" he nearly whined, fully aware of the two girls still standing by. "I missed you." _

_He could tell that I was upset by my stiff body language, I knew. Gray was smart, he saw through my façade easily. "Claire, are you okay?" _

_Gray eyed the two smirking girls wearingly, then stared at my face (which I knew still looked tear-stricken) for a very long time. I looked away, the intensity of his stare too much for me to handle right now. My ears were burning, and my throat was dry and scratchy; I was on the verge of crying, it was embarrassing._

_I felt his large hand wrap around my slender wrist, roughly pulling me towards him. From the corner of my eye, I could see Lily and Christy frowning by his worried reactions._

"_Gray," Lily flipped her red hair from her shoulder, "aren't we going to go dance? You said you would."_

"_I didn't say anything like that," he snapped, not once looking over at them, his eyes locking with mine once again._

_Lily lightly stomped her foot before sulking off, Christy following her like the lost puppy she was. Good, I was glad they gave up so easily._

_"What's wrong?" he asked, cupping my face with his hand._

_"Nothing," I lied, pulling away from his touch._

_A look of hurt flashed across his face, but that didn't stop him from grabbing my arm. "Was it something Lily said? I swear, Claire, I didn't even talk to those girls." _

_"No," I shook my head, "you didn't do anything wrong."_

_I didn't know why I was acting like this towards him, he didn't do anything wrong. And his hurt expression was twisting knots in the pit of my stomach._

_"What's the matter?" he asked again, pulling me closer to him, ignoring the few looks strewn our way. "Are you going to tell me?"_

_I was surprised that I had heard him, he barely whispered the last part, and the pounding music wasn't helping any. "I heard Lily and Christy talking about you in the bathroom," I mumbled intentionally, not wanting him to hear._

_"What?" he asked, shaking his head. "I didn't hear you, Claire. Do you want to get outta here, talk about this somewhere else?" Gray searched my eyes for something, but for what I was unaware of._

_Just then, the DJ just had to put on a rather slow, romantic song, meant for couples._

_Oh great. Just my luck. I sighed, closing my eyes painfully as _The Cranberries_ filled the air. This was the last song I wanted to hear. Especially given the events that had just happened._

Linger.

_How depressing._

_"Claire?" I heard Gray's voice so very close to my ear. "Are you okay? You look-"_

_"Dejected?" I interfered. "Somber? Desolate? Distraught?"_

_"Uh…," he looked at me strangely, worry in his eyes. "A combination of all four, actually."_

_"Nice," I commented, hurt in my voice. _

_"Seriously," Gray hissed into my ear. I stiffened. He sounded…angry. Annoyed, almost. "Tell me what's wrong, Claire."_

_"Nothing," I lied again. I heard him sigh against my skin as he wrapped his arms around me. "Wanna dance?"_

_"Huh?" he chuckled against my hair, tightening his hold around my waist. "Dance?"_

_I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck, snuggling against his chest. "Yeah."_

_"Okay."_

_And we danced. Even when the music ended._

_We were the last ones to leave._

I let out a sigh of contentment. Gray had his arm wrapped around my waist lazily while he twirled my blond locks with his finger. We were sitting at the edge of the dock on Mineral Town Beach, our legs entwined and our bare feet wading in the warm ocean water. My head was resting on his shoulder as I looked out at the vast ocean in front of us.

It was the Fireworks Festival tonight, and all of the younger generation had flocked to the beach to enjoy the fireworks. It had only been a couple of days since Kai's surprise party, but everyone in town had accepted my and Gray's relationship. Ever since Manna had caught us walking hand-in-hand around town the day after the party, our relationship was very well-known in about an hour. But I supposed it wasn't much of a shock for most, since they knew something was going on between us and all.

I felt him shuffle underneath me and looked up at him to see what was wrong. Gray was staring down at me with a small smile on his face as he lifted my chin so that I could look at him fully.

"You know," he breathed, "my grandfather made the fireworks that we'll be seeing. He told me to pay close attention, but someone so much more beautiful keeps catching my eye." He flashed a grin my way, his ocean blue eyes sparkling.

I had to say – I never saw him so happy before in my life. And that was saying an awful lot.

And he was still _so_ romantic.

I flushed, but gave him a quick peck on the lips, silencing him before he could remark on the color of my cheeks.

Before I could do anything else, Gray's lips were on mine, kissing me so passionately that for a minute I thought nothing came between us during those four years we were apart, that we were together since our high school years. It was as though those four years didn't mean a thing to us, but in truth, they actually meant the world. That time we were apart was a huge blur to me now, but I wouldn't want to go through with it again.

I felt his large hand cupping the small of my back, crushing me closer to him, deepening the kiss. I giggled against his mouth, earning a small growl from Gray. His tongue darted across my bottom lip just as a huge thundering noise startled us both.

I swore I jumped five feet into the air while Gray about lost his footing and fell into the water. As soon as we were calm, we went back to our original positions as if nothing had happened. A flash of green illuminated the sky as we panted from loss of contact and fright.

I could have sworn I heard laughing over the booming sound of the fireworks.

--

"All right!" Kai exclaimed, nodding his head in approval. "Now this is what I call a kitchen!"

"So you like?"

"Hellz yeah I do!"

"Yeah," I grunted. "Now I don't have to spend all of my time at the inn. I even have a bathroom now!" I beamed, placing my hands on my hips proudly.

Just a few days ago I had gotten my kitchen and bathroom built, and supplied my kitchen with the necessities from the Supermarket. It was about time I had my own _real_ house. I was spending way too much of my time at the inn and even though I loved Ann, I was deathly afraid of becoming a mini version of yours truly.

It scared the crap out of me.

So now I had my beloved kitchen and bathroom, though the kitchen wouldn't be that much loved. I couldn't exactly…cook. Well – I could, I just really _really_ sucked at it. If it didn't go into a microwave, I didn't make it. Cereal, macaroni and cheese, soup, and spaghetti were the only real meals I could actually cook. And the spaghetti was pushing it since I used canned sauce.

…Yeah.

From the stories I heard about Karen's cooking, I was probably a tad bit better than her. At least I didn't attempt to burn things. Though I did burn toast on occasions.

Kai was here to change that. Since he was only going to be in Mineral Town for another five days, I decided that I was going to hold a goodbye party for him, which turned into a goodbye/housewarming/celebration party. I didn't really get the housewarming part, but Ann 

said something about a "house isn't a house unless there is a kitchen to cook in and a bathroom do your…stuff in". So I was stuck hosting a party for five people, which included Kai, Mary, Ann, Cliff, and Gray.

And I wasn't doing the cooking.

Actually – I sort of was…but Kai was going to do most of it. I was still in my "training" stage as he called it. He didn't want me messing anything up so that we would all be eating cow manure or something like that. Quite frankly, I didn't want that to happen either, but I doubted that we would even get close to anything like that since I didn't exactly have that on my farm.

"When are the rest of 'em coming?" he asked, pacing around my kitchenette.

My eyes followed his form as he traveled back and forth across the dark wooden floor, and I yearned to make him stop. If it was one thing I hated the most, it was pacing. It was absolutely, positively infuriating to watch someone pace.

"Soon," I said. "Will you stop that?!"

Kai stopped mid-stride and turned around. "What?"

"Stop pacing."

"Oh," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Yeah…sure."

"Thanks," I sighed.

"So we should definitely get to work if they are coming soon," he commented as he started pacing again. What was with him? I didn't even think he was aware of what he was doing.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, tilting my head to the side as I watched him. He rubbed a tanned hand through his shaggy brown hair and kept pacing as if I hadn't said anything to him. "Kai!"

He looked up and gave me a small smile, chuckling nervously. "Ye-yeah?"

"What _is_ your problem? Are you like, on drugs or something? You're all pace-y and jittery," I stated, crossing my arms. "You were just talking to yourself, ya know."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, it's nothing. So let's just start cooking, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "O…kay?"

Something was on Kai's mind. Something he wasn't telling me.

--

Kai rolled his eyes at my silly attempt at making baked corn. I couldn't even apply all of the butter and seasonings right. It ended up looking like rotten food. I groaned and banged my head off the counter as the tanned boy professionally fixed the disaster on the granite counter in front of us.

"No use in beating yourself up, Claire," he chided as he placed the pan into the pre-heated oven.

"Why are you so _good_ at it?" I moaned, looking with a grimace at my slimy, butter covered hands.

He shook his head as he turned the sink on, motioning for me to wash my hands. As I did so, he answered, "Lotsa practice. And just natural talent."

I _hmph_ed and frowned. "I wish I had a talent. I'm just so…_ordinary_."

Kai snorted, searching my refrigerator for something unknown to me. "You are far from ordinary, Claire."

I rolled my eyes. "Please." I hated it when he did this, it was rather annoying.

"You underestimate yourself too much," he told me, slamming the fridge door closed and carrying what looked to be fresh fruit towards the cutting board on the counter.

"Really," I crossed my arms and held my chin up.

"Yes."

I crinkled my brow, in deep thought. I never really knew why Kai took a liking to me so fast back in high school. He never gave me a reason as to why he loved me. But, neither did Gray. But how I loved Gray and how I loved Kai was so unlike that there had to be different reasons as to why I loved the both of them.

"Why me?"

"Whaddya mean?" he asked, turning his head slightly to the right to look at me, still chopping away at the fresh strawberries strewn out over the white marble cutting board. 

Wasn't he afraid that he would cut his finger or something? Or was he just experienced enough to do basic things like that with his eyes closed?

"What I mean is," I cleared my throat, "why me? Why did you fall in love with me?"

Kai chuckled and took the white towel off his shoulder, wiping his hands off. "Oh, Claire," he shook his head, smiling. "I don't think you'll ever grasp the hold you have over me. You'll never fully understand how truly special you are."

I blinked at him, unmoving. He _still _felt that way towards me even after all that I had put him through? Even after the whole bandana incident? Kai was weird, that was for sure.

"Didn't you love your bandana that way, too?" I giggled. Even though this conversation turned serious, I couldn't help but throw that in there.

I couldn't believe it – he was positively…beaming! What was up with that?

"Ah, that? I already told you, no worries there. Besides," he smirked, "someone is making me a new, better-looking one."

A flash of bewilderment spread across my face. "Really? Well, that's…pleasant."

"I know!" And as quickly as the subject was started, it was soon done with for Kai had moved onto something else. "Oh! I have to tell you something im-"

But all too suddenly there was a knock on the door and Ann came barging in.

Oh, how lovely.

"I am heeeerrrrreee!"

"Hey, Ann," Kai grinned.

"KAI!" The redhead launched herself at the tanned traveler, giggling all the while. As Kai was trying to pry her off, Cliff and Mary came walking through the door; Mary holding a plate of delicious looking brownies in her hands.

I gave her a smile and took the white porcelain out of her hands, greeting her with a small _hello_ as I set the brownies on the counter next to the freshly cut fruit salad Kai had just finished.

"Ann," Cliff warned upon seeing the girl about squeezing the air out of Kai's lungs.

"Oh," she blew her bangs out of her face, "calm down, emo-boy."

Cliff grunted.

She gave him a glare.

He glared back.

Then they started smiling at each other in that weird Ann-Cliff way.

Weird, but slightly romantic. They must have had just shared something silently between each other. How adorable.

Mary had just recently sat down on my comfy dark burgundy couch, hugging one of the silky black pillows to her lap. The librarian wasn't much for talking, but I was getting rather worried for her. She hardly said anything to me or Ann anymore, keeping to herself more often than not. She wasn't her usual self lately.

And I knew exactly why.

_Gray_.

It pained me to know that we had caused her this pain, but Gray was more in the wrong than I was. I would have to confront him about Mary soon; Gray would have to deal with the mess he made of their relationship personally, even if I had to help.

I'd do anything.

Speaking of Gray, where was he? I bounced on the balls of my feet nervously, watching the closed door, making it obvious as to what (or, precisely, _whom_) I was looking for.

"Where's Gray?" I asked after a few minutes of fidgeting.

Ann jumped up from the ground, lightly punching a complaining Kai who was yapping about their wrestling match. "Oh, yeah," deep breath, "he had a phone call and he told me to tell you that he'll be here soon and not to worry."

"Oh," I blinked, "all right."

The redhead wiped the front of her jeans off, basking in her win. Kai was on the ground pouting about his epic loss, which Ann was seriously rubbing in his face. They were like to little kids fighting for the most attention.

Silly.

"Well," I started. Everyone looked up at me expectantly. I turned my glance down at the tanned boy sprawled out on my kitchen floor. "Kai?"

"Yup?" he asked, scrambling to his feet quite ungracefully.

"What important thing did you have to tell me?"

"Oh," he casted his eyes downward, "that."

I quirked a brow in confusion. What was his problem?

"Ooo! Something important? Seriously, spill!" Ann smirked, plopping herself down next to the silent librarian on the couch a few feet away.

Cliff sent Kai a knowing look and I couldn't help but wonder if Kai had already told him what he was about to tell the rest of us. Oh, goddess, I hope it was nothing bad.

_Please_, be nothing horrible.

"I'm not leaving Mineral Town."

My jaw went slack and my eyes widened at the news, I couldn't stop staring at him. I rubbed my head, shaking it from side to side. "Uh, what?"

"I'm not leaving Mineral Town," Kai repeated.

Was he being serious? Oh dear, was he? He wasn't leaving Mineral Town?!

Ann gasped while I just continued to stare at his face dumbly. "Oh, really?" Ann squealed. "That's totally awesome, Kai!" She jumped up and hugged him.

"Wait a second," the redhead looked up at Kai's face, frowning. "Why wasn't I informed of this earlier?"

Leave it to Ann to change her mood in less than five seconds.

"Uh, well," Kai rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I wanted to tell Claire first."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, _I get it_. Old Ann here isn't important enough, right?"

His gaze met mine, pleading. "No…it's not that, it's just-"

"You're _staying_ in Mineral Town?" I interrupted, my mouth still wide open.

Kai gave me a funny look. I probably would have too. "Claire, I think we've established that already-"

"You're _staying_." I repeated. Did he finally listen to my advice? Was that fight we had a couple of days ago worth it all?

"Well yeah," he laughed nervously. "I was thinking of what you said and all, and yeah, I _am_ ready to settle down."

"Well," Ann started.

"That's shocking," Mary announced, her calm voice ringing high above the others. I mentally slapped myself for forgetting that she was even there among us.

Ann grinned, "Hell yeah it is. But all the more reason to celebrate, right Claire?"

She looked over at me, seeking approval. I nodded and flashed a smile. Of course it was a reason to celebrate; Kai was finally going to stay in one place for more than a season. And to think I was the one who actually put the idea into his head. Well, partially.

"That's wonderful, Kai. I'm so proud of you." I look up and lock eyes with Kai, and unspoken words are passed between the two of us.

I hope he kept true to his word, for if he didn't, he would be letting down a lot of people who cared for him.

--

I was a huge hypocrite, I knew. Kai's eyes were narrowed on my pacing form, following my every move.

Earlier I had yelled at him for pacing.

And now what was I doing?

I was _pacing_.

But I had a good reason to be doing so – Gray still hadn't showed up after an hour of waiting. I was starting to get nervous, fidgeting every so often until I couldn't take it anymore and began pacing.

What if something happened to him on the way here? Was he still talking on the phone? What was taking him so long? Was he just toying with my emotions? Did he really not love me?

Was it something I did?

"Geez, Claire, if you're that worried, I'll take you to go snag him from his hectic schedule," Ann declared with a roll of her blue eyes.

I stopped moving and look up at the redhead hopefully. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure. He's probably just taking his sweet time getting his butt over here, but yeah, I'll go with you to see what his problem is."

Oh, I could have hugged Ann with glee, but Gray's whereabouts were more important.

As soon as we were both ready, we said some quick goodbyes before heading for the door. Due to my nervousness, I swung the door open a little too hard and it slammed against the inside wall of my house.

But that wasn't what made me jump.

Gray was standing in the doorway, hands stuffed in his jean pockets and his eyes cast downwards. Right as I started to give him a piece of my mind, he looked up at me, stopping me dead in my tracks, the area around his eyes red and puffy.

He'd been crying.

Fear washed over me as I asked the dreaded question: "Gray? "Wh-what's wrong?"

I can feel the tension in the room, as well as Ann tensing beside me as Gray looked at me, his gorgeous deep blue eyes full of such sorrow and pain that I had to look away, the intensity being too much for me to handle.

He didn't answer right away, which left me guessing. Did someone get hurt? Was his grandfather all right? Was anyone in town in critical condition?

But his answer shocked me.

"My parents," he finally croaked out. "Th-they…got in a car accident."

And just like that, the world came to a crashing halt. I stopped breathing, everyone in the room stopped breathing. The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat pumping into my ears and Gray's tiny sniffles.

"Fatal?" I was surprised to hear Mary's voice coming from behind me, so soft and caring. We were all dreading the answer to that question, and I knew Mary was reluctant to ask it.

Gray grabbed a hold of my arm, as if I was the only one keeping him from falling apart, and gave it a tight squeeze before looking me in the eyes.

_Oh no_.

--

**Ahhh, don't hate me! :(**


	12. Chapter 12

**Gah, don't hurt me! I'M ALIIIIIVE!! And I have many good excuses for this more-than-two-month absence. -Ahem- Really, I do. School is tearing my apart, the homework is worse, work is demanding, and you'd think I'd have free time in the wee hours of the morning since I can't sleep. Haha, blame it alllll on YouTube.**

**I hope everyone had an awesome holiday, mine was pretty boring. I didn't do _anything_ for my four days off. Woo, go Brittanee. No motivation here.**

**No review replies this time around, I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. Just know that I really, really appreciate all of the reviews I get from you readers. It really warms my heart to know that you all really like this story!**

**Yeah, gotta have that dannnng disclaimer. _Disclaimer:_ Don't own.**

**Warning: A lot more use of language in this one, but really only in the beginning. Claire has a potty mouth. ;D And she may seem out of character from what I placed her in, but she isn't. Yeah.**

**I gots some Graire fluff for youuuu. :) Yes, gots.**

**Oh, before I forget. DoubleKK: If you haven't already figured it out, an _innuedo_ is something that is mentioned, but not really described in detail. Sorry you didn't get your sooner update! ;D SoraNoHana: Sorry, but your review got cut off before I could really read anything!**

**Don't you all just love them cliffhangers I leave you with for long periods of time? Seriously, sorry about that.**

**Yeah, and another thing; this whole chapter doesn't even take place in Mineral Town, until the very end, and that is even pushing it. Trust me, the rest of the chapters will be in Mineral Town fosho.**

* * *

_Oh my gawd._

I walked along the stark white hallway with Gray patiently (though I was freaking on the inside), matching his hesitant pace. Instead of him comforting me, I was the one doing it this time around. I did my best to soothe him by rubbing his back or just whispering calming things into his ear, though I doubted that he was actually paying attention to any of it. Gray didn't look as though he was actually in this world with me, let alone being aware of the comforts I was trying to console to him.

He had stopped crying a couple of hours ago, but I knew he was still torn up on the inside. Gray looked horrible, his face was red and blotchy, and I couldn't help but see how terrible his eyes looked. If you didn't know what was wrong with him, you'd think he hadn't slept in almost a month.

But that was far from what really happened.

_Sophia._

Gray's mother had survived the crash, and was staying in intensive care at a local hospital not too far from the loading docks that the boat from Mineral Town docked at when it made its weekly rounds.

So far, the people working here weren't making things any better.

They were complete assholes, to be frank.

Most of them looked as though they were void of all emotion, soul suckers. The custodians had more decency then the actual hospital staff did. One nurse looked at Gray and snorted before mumbling under her breath; something about knowing who wore the pants in _that_ relationship.

Bitch.

What kind of hospital was this? A place run by total jerks or what?

With a frown, I made sure Gray sat down in the waiting room before I went up to the front desk to get information and what not. I definitely knew Gray wasn't in the state to do anything for himself, let alone ask which room his almost-dying mother was in.

"May I help you?" An older lady looked up at me through large bifocals, her scraggly dyed-blonde hair going in every direction known to man. I could tell she was a fake blonde, her grayish brown roots were showing hideously.

"Y-yes," my voice cracked. _Stay strong, Claire. Gray needs you_.

_"Mary, you should comfort Gray, you can do anything you want," I told her after I noticed the utter worry in her dark eyes._

_Gray, Ann, and Cliff all left for the inn to pack for Gray's trip to the city. I was going with him (as it should be), so that was why I wasn't with him at the moment. Mary stayed behind to keep me company, always putting others first before herself._

_The librarian frowned. "Claire – Gray…well, Gray isn't seeking __**my**__ attention."_

_I cringed, mentally and physically. I knew she didn't mean for that statement to hurt, but it did – in more ways than one. "I'm so sorry," I apologized. _

_Apologized for everything._

"_For what?"_

_I turned my head to look away from her, closing my eyes painfully. After taking a deep breath, I said, "Gray and I."_

_She let out a loud, exasperated sigh. "Don't be sorry, Claire. You can't help who you fall in love with, now can you?"_

"_I…I guess you can't," I answered, opening my eyes to look at her again. For the current situation, Mary was holding out well with her emotions. She looked down-right calm, and I probably resembled something close to a train wreck._

_Mary smiled then, it was a small smile, barely noticeable. "I am happy for you and Gray, I really, truly am. I couldn't see him with anyone __**but**__ you. You two are meant for each other, soul mates. Don't be feeling guilty for me; I don't think my heart can take it. Besides, it shouldn't be me you're worrying about, now is it? Gray needs you right now. Be strong for him Claire, he needs you. …He loves you."_

_I stared at her for a few minutes; not really comprehending all that was said. After everything finally soaked in, I opened my mouth to say something to her, but was interrupted as my front door creaked open…_

"…Yes? Hello?" the lady prompted, waving a wrinkled hand in my face. "What do you need?"

I shook myself out of my daze. Something about what Mary said…how could she feel that way after everything that has happened? I just didn't get it. I didn't think I'd ever understand _her._

"Hello? Miss, are you there?" the elderly woman asked again, frowning.

Gawd, her nasally voice was worse than nails on a chalkboard. Was she just being pissy with me because she had to work the graveyard shift? Well, honey, I have some news for you. Get a new effing job if you didn't like the one you have now.

Geez, people could be so irritating sometimes. Especially now.

Urgh, I just wanted to rip out my hair.

"Yes, sorry. My boyfriend and I are here to see his mother, Sophia Walters. She is in intensive care, I believe."

It pained me to be nice to her, remember that. I couldn't help the grimace forming on my face as she looked at me as if I had grown two heads or something.

"Well, visiting hours have been long over, I'm afraid," she said matter-of-factly, raising her eyebrows as if I had asked an absurd question that appalled her to answer.

_I freaking knew that_, lady. It was like, twelve in the morning and of course visiting hours would be over, I wasn't stupid. Didn't she know that Sophia was in _intensive_ care, or was she just to dumb? Did I have to spell it out for her or what?

Because I was so totally not doing that. I didn't have the patience, the time, nor the energy to participate in such a silly thing.

Ugh, I needed sleep. I needed Gray to be okay. I needed Sophia to come out all right. I needed so many things, and, somehow, I knew nothing was going to go right.

I could feel it, that was for sure.

And I could also feel the very little patience I had left draining even further. This was never a good sign.

"I know that, _ma'am_," I said through clenched teeth. "But if you didn't hear me before: I said she was in _intensive _care. My boyfriend hasn't seen his mother in a very long time, I'd appreciate it," I looked at the gold and black name plaque sitting on the desk, which read: Mrs. Racheals, "Mrs. Racheals, if you'd let us go see her immediately."

She blinked at me, her eyes wide, before shaking her head. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that. Rules are rules, Miss…"

"Bradley. Claire Anastasia Bradley."

"Ah," she clicked her tongue, "Miss Bradley. As I was saying, rules are rules, and I cannot bend them for anybody. What would happen if I'd let you see this…this woman in intensive care?" I gave her an appalled look. "Exactly, you don't know what would happen, but I do. More and more people would want me to bend the rules that this fine hospital has created just because I helped you out. I could get in trouble, even lose my job."

"Are you done yet?" I deadpanned.

"Excuse me?"

"I said: are you done yet?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at her.

"W-well...I-I…," she stuttered, flustered.

I raised my chin, looking her straight in the eye. "Because I'm definitely done with you. You know what I've gone through in the last two days?" She gulped, shaking her head. "Complete shit, that's what. And it isn't helping that all of the hospital staff, including your ugly butt, is grating on my nerves. You call this a hospital? This seems like it should be called "_Gigantic Snob Central_", if you ask me. So cut the crap, I don't have all day."

"Well I'll be!" she exclaimed, gasping as she placed a hand on her chest dramatically.

_Grrr…._

"Listen here, lady. I'm sick of this hospital's shit. I'm sick of your shit. I have a boyfriend that is very emotional right now, and I can safely say that his mood matches his name. His dad just died and his mom is _dying,_ he isn't in the best emotional state. Now you tell me what room Sophia Walters is in or, I swear, the outcome won't be pretty."

I was frowning, panting from my outburst of lost patience and rage. I gave her a look that read, "_I dare you to deny any of my requests now_."

She looked up at me, almost challenging, but I could still see the absolute uncertainty and fear in her dull gray eyes. I would be frightened too; if some enraged sleep-deprived blonde came up to my work place and started freaking.

Whatever.

"Is that a threat, Miss Bradley?"

_Oh, hell no she just didn't!_

What was wrong with these people? Weren't those who worked in hospitals supposed to be the most supportive and caring people? Why did these people have to work on the day I had to come here? Were they all having a horrible day like I was? Or were they just being bitchy because they had to work so late?

Again, what-the-freaking-ever.

"No," I growled, "it's a promise." And I meant that.

Mrs. Racheals (Ugly Butt) sneered. "I guess I have to call security, then." She went to grab the phone, but I was surprised to see Gray stop her hand from picking it up.

"Woman, you tell me where my mother is or so help me Goddess I will _hurt you_."

Well, why didn't I think of that? That would have been a lot easier.

Except for the fact that I didn't have a nice six pack, nor did I have brute strength that could even come close to rivaling Gray's.

Face it, Gray was very intimidating.

I hoped that lady peed her pants.

"But visiting…hours…," she squeaked, literally shrinking into her chair.

"I don't give a damn about visiting hours, what the heck is wrong with you?!" I yelled out suddenly, very lucky that no one else was in the waiting room. "Gray's mother is in intensive care, you dimwit! Just tell us what room number she is in!"

…Let's just say that we got the what we were looking for.

_____________

I thought things like what we just experience only happened in movies.

Apparently not.

I repeat: _what was with these people?_

I rubbed my eyes sleepily, just as Gray's hand grabbed a hold of my small arm. "Tired?" he asked, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"I'm fine," I lied, the words tasting fowl on my tongue. Of course I was tired. I was irritable, sleep-deprived, annoyed, pissed, and any other adjective you could throw in that described my sour mood.

"Liar," he whispered as we stopped in front of the dull white door leading to _Room 434._

I scowled and reached for the brass knob, turning it slightly. When I heard it click, it felt as though my heart shot up into my throat, and I couldn't breathe. Gray…he never did elaborate on his mother's condition, except for the fact that she was in intensive care.

To put it simply: I had no idea what to expect. What would Sophia look like? Granted, I haven't seen her for a good few years, but I still had her looks fresh in my memory. She already had a few surgeries on her face and such due to the crash, Gray told me that much. I couldn't even imagine what she looked like right after the accident…

It was a little frightening and unnerving all at the same time.

I took my hand off the door, noticing Gray staring at the inanimate object, his eyes distant, as if he was in another world.

"Does she know that we're coming?" I asked, my voice shaky.

Gray grimaced, and I felt horrible for asking him that. Of course he didn't want to stand out here and answer my questions, he probably wanted to rush in there and see his mother. I didn't blame him.

"My aunt said she hasn't been conscious long enough for her to talk to her much, so no, I don't think so."

"Where is your aunt?" I questioned, placing my hand back on the doorknob again.

Gray shrugged, moving closer. "I'm not sure."

Well she definitely wasn't here, due to the receptionist and all. I was so reporting Mrs. Racheals when all this was done. Stupid woman.

Apparently I wasn't moving at a fast enough pace for Gray; he turned the knob hurriedly, with my hand still on top of it. The white wooden door rushed open with a loud creak and we both stepped inside the equally white room, Gray in the lead.

I cringed at the site before me.

Sophia lay on the hospital bed, looking as frail as ever. Her whole body was covered in bandages, and for some reason most of her hair was...gone. I didn't want to know why, though. She looked to be sleeping; her eyes were closed and her hands were folded neatly on her stomach, which, thankfully, was moving up and down with each breath she took.

Gray rushed over to her side immediately, dragging a chair over to the side of the hospital bed. I stayed behind, opting not to follow him. I figured he wanted to be alone for a little while, so I walked over to the other side of the room and sat down in a very uncomfortable chair made of metal and cheap brown fabric.

I let out a sigh as my eyes scanned the room, stopping at a table full of flowers, cards, balloons, and other miscellaneous get-well items. The brightly colored blue, pink, and green daisies were doing nothing to help brighten the morbid mood lingering in the air.

There were numerous amounts of cards strewn about the wooden table to my right, against the blue sponge-painted wall. Curious, I got up from my seat just as Gray started whispering to the still slumbering Sophia, and made my way over to the wooden piece of furniture. Many of the cards were the generic, buy-them-at-the-store-and-sign-your-name kinds, while others were more detailed. Some were even filled with paragraphs upon paragraphs of writing. I opted not to read any of the cards; they probably all held a personal message that was none of my business.

"Gray," I heard Sophia's voice, whisper-soft, feather-light. "Hey, baby."

I turned around to see Sophia weakly hug her son. I grimaced, again, at her awful physical condition.

"Hey Mom." His voice was shaky, uncertain. I could tell that he was trying his hardest not to crush her with his strength; Gray was so gentle.

Sophia let her son go and looked around the room, searching. When her gaze landed on me, I noticed her eyes brighten, her smile widening. "Claire, sweetie. How long has it been?" A pause. "Too long, I say. Come here, honey." She motioned to me feebly, reaching her arms out acceptingly.

I slowly shuffled over to the bed with my head down and my gaze lowered. When I reached her, I engulfed her into my arms, smoothing out what was left of her brownish-blonde hair. Feeling Sophia move underneath me, I moved slightly to the right and Gray joined in on our hug.

I couldn't help but feel the small squeeze Gray gave my arm and hear the shaky, relieved sigh he breathed into my hair.

Everything was going to be okay.

_____________

Sophia took the news of her husband's death better than what I had expected. Gray was the one to tell her, for the other people around her forgot to mention the very important fact of Liam dying in that horrible accident.

It was the seatbelt that saved her, they said.

Supposedly Liam and Sophia were coming home from a party that was thrown by one of Liam's business partners. It was late, the now-late-stock-broker was a bit tipsy, and he got behind the wheel.

Sophia was just stupid enough to get into the car along with him.

The outcome of that decision didn't turn out so well.

Liam ran a red light and lost control of the car; they ended up smashing into a pickup truck, which was unfortunately in the car's line of destruction, causing both drivers to die on impact.

That meant that Sophia was the only survivor.

_____________

It was raining.

What a typical setting for this morbid event.

The ceremony was longer than what I had expected, that was for sure. But I underestimated the amount of people Liam knew; his business was rather large and one of the most successful ones I have ever seen.

It was one of the most expensive funerals I had ever been too.

It was the _first_ one I had ever been too.

There was something missing, though, from this ceremony. Sophia, who was, as of right now, going through one of the many surgeries she would soon endure in the next couple of months, couldn't attend her late-husband's funeral. She was broken up about it, but Gray told her that she probably would be better off, not coming to the funeral and all.

Now we, Gray and I, were standing out in the pouring rain. Gray was staring down at his father's headstone, where the mud was splattering it, due from the fresh dirt mound in front of his gravestone.

It was weird – knowing that we would never see Liam again, even for my dislike of him. He was gone, wiped off the face of the earth forever. It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about how Gray felt at this very moment, looking down upon his father's grave.

The headstone didn't say much, just one sentence. His actual gravestone was what really stood out. It was of black color, granite, with large intricate carvings on either side.

_Liam Scott Walters_

_1970 – 2008_

_In loving memory of a wonderful father and honorary business man._

I shivered absentmindedly; it was quite cold out, and I only had a small dark blue button-up sweater on. The movement must have awakened Gray from his stupor, for he looked down at me, pulling me closer to his side with his right arm around my waist.

"Cold?" he asked with a soft, fond expression.

I looked into his dark blue eyes for a moment, admiring the way water droplets were falling off strands of his rusty-colored hair simultaneously. If not for the funeral, I would have told him how good I thought he looked in his black dress pants and button-down shirt.

"Yeah," I answered after some time.

"Come on," he turned us around, "let's get you out of the rain, okay?"

I looked down at the soaked grass, "Okay."

I just hoped that he wanted to get out of the rain just as much as I did.

_____________

Instead of staying at a hotel like Gray and I planned, we ended up staying at his parent's house. I didn't like the idea, but it was hard to say no to Sophia, with her kind nature and the ability to never refuse something from her. It was in-between her unconscious states that she told us to stay at the house, and before I could put in a word, she was fast asleep.

I thought she planned it.

Gray thought I looked into it too much.

Oh well.

And now we were fighting.

Just what I needed.

"Why, Gray? It's such an amazing opportunity for you! Think about it before you make a rash decision and inevitably make a huge mistake!"

He slammed his fork down, making our water glasses spill across the white silk tablecloth. I immediately jumped up and grabbed some napkins to clean up the mess but Gray jerked out of his seat and grabbed my hands roughly.

"No," he scolded, his voice loud and deep. I suppressed a squeak as he stared down at me. "Claire, sit down."

Tears welled into my eyes, and I fought to keep them from falling as he started cleaning up the mess himself. There were very few times I saw Gray angry, and this was one of those unlucky times. The topic of his father's business was brought up (unfortunately) into our conversation as we ate a small dinner I managed to prepare, and it didn't turn out so well.

We had just found out that Liam left everything to Gray.

What a shock that was to us.

_Everything_.

Nothing was Sophia's, since her name wasn't on anything. It was in his will, for Gray to have everything when he passed on.

Gray took the news a little too hard.

Gray started slamming dishes just as I slumped back into my seat, secretly hoping I could mold myself into the wooden piece of furniture. I jumped when he grabbed the end of the table cloth and just ripped the whole thing off the table, sending our dishes, cups, and silverware flying everywhere.

I hugged my knees to my chest, and I was very aware that I was shaking. I didn't know if it was out of fear of Gray, or fear _for_ Gray. I wanted to help him through this whole ordeal, but it seemed like he had but up an imaginary barrier, sealing me from getting in. He wasn't letting me help him, and that bothered me. I wanted to help him so much, but for that to work I needed his cooperation just as much as mine, but that wasn't turning out so well.

"G-Gray…," I whispered, my voice unsteady.

Gray didn't answer me. Instead, he chose to stare at me with dark eyes.

"Gray," I repeated, a little more firm this time.

He tilted his head to the side, keeping his dark gaze fixed on me the whole time. I loosened the death grip I had around my knees before I let my legs dangle widely over the chair. My heart was hammering against my chest, waiting for him to move, for him to do _something_. I had never encountered this side of Gray before, and somehow I knew that he got this side of him from his father.

Anger problems?

No, no, I didn't think that would be plausible with Gray. He may get a little agitated at times, but he never lashed out at anyone with anger before. Well, at least none that I knew of.

Gray wasn't a violent person.

"Are you afraid?" Gray asked smoothly, watching with amusement as I jumped out of my chair, startled.

"God_dess_, Gray! Don't scare me like that!" He chuckled, ending with a small approving hum accompanied with another stare-down with him and I. "And, no, I'm not afraid," I lied, tearing my eyes away from his.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Oh, yes, you are," Gray stated once more, inching himself around the dark mahogany table, his large calloused hand sliding across the glossy surface as he went. I watched as he slowly made his way to my side of the table, glancing at me fondly the whole time.

He finally stopped about two inches away from me.

I looked up to see deep blue eyes staring down at me. I gasped; his beautiful eyes held so much emotion that it almost hurt to look at them for such a long period of time. We stood there for quite some time, just losing ourselves in each other's gaze.

"Take your clip out," he ordered, his voice low and dangerous.

I blinked a few times before obeying his order. After I took the clip out from my hair, I shook out my long blonde locks before letting the large black clip fall to the ground carelessly. I didn't get a chance to do anything afterwards, for Gray grabbed my chin roughly and kissed me, long and hard. I whimpered, practically feeling the pent up frustration rolling off of him in waves.

I felt his hands wind into my soft hair as he broke off the overpowering kiss, much to my disappointment. Gray buried his face into my hair, inhaling deeply. "_Beautiful…_," he managed to mutter out, which caused me to let out a shaky sigh.

"_I love you_." It came out as a mere breathless whisper, his hand sliding down past my waist to caress my thigh.

There was a loud, embarrassed cough coming from behind us before I could say that I loved him back. Gray narrowed his eyes and pressed me closer to him as he looked towards the culprit.

"Oh, I'm s-s-sorry for dis-distubring you t-two," a small, kind voice broke out.

His Aunt Penelope, Sophia's sister.

Crap.

Why did things like this always have to happen to Gray and I whenever something got good?

My cheeks turned red, and I didn't dare look over at his flustered aunt. If this wasn't embarrassing for all three of us, I didn't know what would be. But Gray didn't really look affected, he seemed almost…_proud_ of getting caught making out with me…

Oh _gawd_.

I stifled a groan.

"I, uh, just wanted to…um, tell you that…well, uh, that your mother's surgery…went," a cough, "…well?"

"Thanks Penelope," he finally said, his voice still husky as ever. He was staring down at me the whole time, which only made my cheeks burn even more.

Before letting go of me, Gray kissed the corner of my mouth, pleased with my noticeable flushed face.

"How is she doing?" Gray asked, smoothing out his plain, beige v-neck long sleeve shirt.

"She's doing fine," Penelope answered, her voice back to normal.

"When can we go see her?" I managed to ask.

"Tomorrow."

And she rushed out of the room without another word.

"Well, that was pleasant," I stated sarcastically. "Could you embarrass me anymore than that?"

Gray chuckled, moving his mouth close to my ear. "Maybe…," he whispered, his hot breath tickling my skin.

"Tell me what you had in mind?" I asked breathlessly.

He shook his head, "You don't want to know what I was thinking."

I probably didn't.

_____________

I tried not to bring up his father's company again during the next few weeks. It was hard for me not to let him have a piece of my mind, but as much as I liked what happened last time, I didn't really want to have a replay of it. Quite frankly, that Gray scared me.

But I wasn't about to tell him that anytime soon; he would probably just beat himself up about it. He didn't need to be doing that, especially since his mother was still in the hospital. She was doing a lot better than the first time we were there, but she still had quite a few surgeries to go through. I really didn't have any idea as to what the surgeries did, but apparently they were helping Sophia. She was getting a lot of her color back and her body didn't look as broken. That was a good sign, if any.

Gray's aunt stopped by the house plenty of times during that time period. Whenever I saw her, I always got so excited; she looked _exactly _like Sophia, only an older version of her. Catching a glimpse of her, I thought Sophia had finally healed and was home from the hospital for good. I knew it was foolish of me to think like that, but I just couldn't help it.

I missed Mineral Town. I missed Ann and Kai, and, though I hated to say it, I sort of missed Karen and Popuri as well. I was homesick, and I wanted to see everyone Gray and I left behind almost a month ago. I didn't have to worry about my farm, because I knew Kai and Ann would take good care of it. I always get calls from everyone in Mineral Town, but it just wasn't the same thing as being there and being able to talk to them face to face.

Taking over _The Walters Exchange_ – _Stock Broker, Inc._, was an incredibly amazing opportunity for Gray, but that meant that he would have to stay in the city to look after the company. And if he did that, he would probably want me to stay with him. Being a good girlfriend, I probably would have agreed. But now, missing Mineral Town and all of my friends, I wasn't so sure.

I visited my mom and dad quite a few times, they were happy to see me, but felt bad for Gray after I told them the whole story as to why I was in the city for such a long period of time. Gray came with me to their house a couple of times, but whenever I decided to go, he was usually spending time with Sophia in the hospital. As much as I wanted to be there for him, I had my own parents to spend time with, and he was constantly telling me to be with them, and that I didn't always have to go to the hospital with him.

He knew how angry I still was about the whole hospital mishap from the first night we had arrived. Let's just say that they have a much nicer staff on hand nowadays.

Oh yeah.

One particular night, Gray and I were eating dinner at my parent's house, reminiscing in our high school years. I smiled happily, watching my dad and Gray talk about sports and other "manly" (as they put it) things.

My dad had aged over the short period of time I had spent in Mineral Town. His short brown hair had grown a little shaggy, and spots of gray hair were sprouting out in every direction. His blue eyes crinkled at the edges with wrinkles whenever he smiled and it took him a lot more energy to do normal everyday tasks. Mom said that he was developing a minor case of arthritis, and after she told me that, for some odd reason I started crying. My father was only forty-four years old; but it seemed like he was so much younger than that the last time I had seen him.

Mom still looked as young as ever. She was only going to be turning forty next month, but she looked as though she was only thirty-five. Her hair was slightly graying, but not as bad as my dad's. I guess it was true: men did really age faster than women.

But the conversation Gray and my dad were having turned sour quite quickly.

Liam's business came up as the main topic of conversation.

This couldn't turn out well.

"So, Gray, have you given much thought of taking over your old man's company?" my father asked him innocently, taking a drink of his raspberry tea.

Gray and I both choked on the water we were drinking, and I couldn't help but stare helplessly as Gray frowned at the innocent question. Of course my father didn't know what happened the last time Gray and I got in a fight about this. And he never would find out, not even my mother.

I held my breath. Mother looked at me strangely.

"Well, Brian, no…I haven't," Gray said through clenched teeth, trying to act calm.

"Gray," my mom butted in, "sweetheart, why not? Do you plan on returning to Mineral Town and selling the company, or staying in the city and taking over as the head business man?"

"I just don't want to make that decision right now," he answered.

Then I decided to finally give him a piece of my mind. This was plain ridiculous; his father's company was being run by his trusted business partners while Gray tried to make up his mind. He couldn't _not_ make a decision at all, he needed to get it over with already. I knew it was a hard decision to make, but he had over a month to think about it.

"You should start thinking about it _now_," I added. "Gray, your father's company needs someone to run it, or it will fall through. You don't want that to happen, do you? Please, Gray, think about this a little harder. He left all of his belongings, _everything_, to you for a reason. He obviously thought you were the best to leave them too. Be rational about this, Gray, please."

It took him a while to answer.

"I miss Mineral Town," he stated simply.

Tears wove a glossy cover over my eyes. "Me too."

"I don't think I'd do much good being a stock-broker, Claire. I don't want to take over the company. I-I was afraid of telling you this earlier because I thought…I thought you would… think of me less."

My heart broke just listening to him say this. How could he ever believe I would think of him differently for whatever decision he settled on making? Gray was so foolish and utterly silly sometimes, I swore to myself.

My father coughed nervously, before hurriedly standing up. "Well Molly, dear, I think we…uh…should go watch the football game…?"

My mother jumped up just as fast. "Sounds delightful honey, please, let's do."

They were gone in a flash. I thought that was the fastest my dad had ever moved since he developed his arthritis. At least they both knew when to give us some alone time.

I sat quietly for a little while, feeling Gray's eyes on me, patiently waiting for me to say something. I really didn't know what to say to him about all of this, except for the fact that I didn't care what he decided to do, just as long as he thought about it carefully and really wanted it.

Before I could open my mouth to say something, Gray continued from where he last left off. "I don't want to put you through anything else on a count of me, Claire. I can tell how much you miss Mineral Town, and believe me, I miss it just as much. It's just that…I wanted to make my father proud so much, but now, I just don't think I have to live up to his standards anymore."

I sighed, closing my eyes. "Gray, I…really don't know what to say. Of course we both miss Mineral Town. It's our home. But I just want to let you know how much you would be losing if you give up this chance. It's an opportunity of a lifetime."

He got up quietly and made his way over to my side just as I opened my eyes, leaning down on his knees and putting his arms on top of my leg, grabbing hold of my arm. "I know, I know. But I wouldn't be losing anything – in his will it said something about how if I planned on not taking over, I still would get a rather large sum every month since he and his business partners agreed on keeping the business in my name, even if I didn't want it."

Well this was a first; I never heard about this until now. He would get money every month just because his father said so? Well I'll be damned, that was good news.

"Well then," I managed to spit out after a small amount of time. "Whaddya wanna do?"

"Leave it to his business partners, their doing a pretty damn good job. I'm afraid if I interfered now, I would mess everything up," Gray laughed. "I want to go home," he added on a lighter note.

I grinned, laughing along with him. "Soon Gray, soon."

As he lightly pressed his lips to mine happily, I just knew, once again, that everything was going to turn out fine.

_____________

For some reason, I couldn't get the thought of Saibara, Liam's _father_, out of my mind. Why hadn't he come with us? Liam was his son, after all. I just didn't get it at all.

Well, I'd have to talk to him about this when we got back to Mineral Town.

What kind of father didn't go to their son's funeral? To see their son's wife in the hospital?

_A cruel one_, I thought.

_____________

I woke up to the sun shining down on me.

It hurt my eyes.

Somehow I didn't think this day would go well.

It took me over fifteen minutes to get out of bed and realize that Gray was nowhere to be seen. Somewhat puzzled, I rubbed my pounding head as I traveled down the many stairs (much to my chagrin) this house contained until I found myself in the kitchen.

The pale yellow of the walls gave off a cheerful vibe, adding to the lasting effect of the sunshine-filled morning.

It just gave me a nauseating migraine.

I suppressed a groan of pain as I sat myself down at the breakfast nook in the middle of the kitchen, watching as Penelope flipped pancakes on the stove.

"Good morning, Claire. Did you sleep well?"

Ugh, hell no.

"…Yeah," I lied. I was pretty sure she knew I was lying by the pain enveloping my voice. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but I felt like complete crap.

She raised a brow as she set a plate of pancakes in front of me. I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat and grimaced, pushing the plate of offending food as far away from me as possible. Just looking at the pancakes made my stomach lurch.

Penelope gave me a knowing look with a small "mmmhmmm" sound. "Morning sickness?"

It took a moment for me to register what she had just said.

"_What?!_" I screamed, making myself dizzy. "Oh, _goddess_ no!" I couldn't believe she just said that! Of course I wasn't _pregnant!_ Ugh, no! No. No. _No._ _**NO.**_

Her eyes widened. "Oh, okay, sweetie. Of course not. It just looks like your stomach is unsettling you in some way, that was the first thought that popped into my head. Sorry, Claire."

I slumped back into my chair, moaning in agony. "No, I'm sorry…It just feels as though someone ran me over with a," I racked my aching brain for the right word to describe my utter and complete pain, "tank."

"Oh."

"And now I don't even know where Gray is, so today really sucks, Penelope."

"Oh, Claire, honey. He said he was going to the cemetery to clear his head, is all. He didn't want to wake you since you were complaining about not feeling good last night."

The cemetery? Was Gray in more emotional trouble then what I thought? I truly hoped not.

"I see," I sighed as I closed my eyes, yearning for the pounding in my head to go away.

I guessed that all of the recent things going on in my life had finally caught up to me.

This day was going down as the worst day of my life, just because.

"Maybe you should go get him, he seemed…upset earlier. Why don't you go get ready while I get you some medicine?" Penelope asked me, and I about fell at her feet with gratitude at the word _medicine._

"Yes, thank you," I answered, with a little too much eagerness in my voice.

I didn't care; I was getting medicine and finding Gray all in one sweep.

Maybe today wouldn't turn out as bad as I thought.

_____________

This guy wanted a tip? Pffft!

Here's a tip, wear deodorant next time, okay?

Yeah.

I should have just took Penelope's offer on driving me down here, but being the stupid woman that I am, I refused and told her I'd take a freakin' cab.

What is _wrong_ with me?

Well, whatever Penelope gave me sure was working. After all of this I still felt _great_.

Woo.

Gawd, what _did_ she give me?

I felt loopy.

Anyway, where was Gray?

Yes, the cemetery, which I was standing in front of at this very moment.

You know, I always thought cemeteries were these really eerie, creepy, freaky places where bad things always happened to people. Blame it on the media these days, I blame it on all of those zombie movies I always watched when I was younger.

Stupid zombies.

Wait, where was Gray again?

"Graaaaaay! Where are you my sweeeet one?"

Was I…was I _singing_? And did I just call Gray _my sweet one?_

I was never taking anything Penelope gave me ever again.

Hah, that was a gigantic lie.

I giggled.

I probably looked like a lunatic to any passerby's. Some girl giggling to herself in a cemetery? Yeah, an everyday occurrence.

I should have eaten before I took that medicine…

Gah.

This was going to be a long search for Gray.

_____________

This-

_This_ was just not possible.

Was that _Saibara hugging Gray_? In front of Liam's grave?

Just great, now I was hallucinating.

_Okay, Claire_, I told myself, t_ake a deep breath and count to ten._

Whew, much better.

Now, where were we?

Oh, yeah, Gray and _Saibara._ How – why?

Oh crap, they're staring at me.

_Eek._

"Claire?" My eyes widened as my body froze. "Why are you here?"

_Well, Gray, I don't know. After your lovely aunt drugged me up with some hallucinates, she told me to come down here and fetch you. _

But seeing as that was one screwed up story, I opted for the ever vague, "Uh…"

Saibara eyed me with concern before gently laying a large, aged hand on Gray's shoulder. "I'll be in the car, son." He swiftly made his way past us, giving me a curt nod and saying my name before leaving the cemetery to wait in the black SUV I had passed on my way in here.

"Claire, what-"

Before he could get another word in edge-wise, I kissed him with all of my might, locking my hands into his hair, bringing his body closer to mine. As I did this, I couldn't help but think that he would never be close enough, that Gray would always be an arm's length away from me.

That thought was completely thrust-punched into oblivion when he sighed into my mouth, pressing me tighter against him.

"Geez, Claire," Gray wheezed after we broke apart, panting. "If I would have known you'd do something like _that_, I definitely would have done this sooner."

I answered him with a giggle.

He chuckled.

"Why is _he_ here?" I asked, changing subjects.

Gray furrowed his brow. "Who? …Gramps?" I nodded. "_Oh_…"

What did he mean by '_oh…_'? Was there something Gray was obviously not telling me?

I was officially confused.

"I would love to know why he _just_ decided to show up," I snorted haughtily. "It's been some time now, Gray. I'd just _love_ to hear his excuse for-"

"Claire," he interrupted, his voice holding a warning tone. "Please don't start anything. It's not his fault."

"I'm not starting anything. I'm just stating the simple truth. What kind of father doesn't come to his own son's funeral? What could possible compel someone to miss something like that? What is his _problem_?"

My eyes flashed with anger, and I was panting by the time I ended my rant. I didn't know how Gray was going to react to this, but quite frankly, I didn't give a damn. I wasn't sorry for what I said; Saibara had better have a damn good excuse for showing up like this.

Great. Now I was in a bad mood.

Gray simply let out a long, annoyed sigh. "My father and grandfather's relationship was…difficult. Strained, even. They didn't enjoy each other's company, to say the least. Their lifestyles were drastically different, and so were their views. It was as if they were two completely different men who weren't even related to each other."

I groaned. "So?"

He rolled his eyes. "Claire, my grandfather had his reasons, let's just leave it at that."

Crossing my arms, I stuck my nose in the air as a small _'hmph'_ escaping my lips before turning around and walking away from him without saying another word. Hearing footsteps behind me, I quickened my pace towards the cemetery exit. I really was in no frame of mind to argue with Gray about Saibara anymore. The whole thing just really killed my good mood.

"Where are you going?" he called after me.

I paused, thinking. "Home," I said quietly before beginning to walk again.

Hopefully he caught what I really meant.

_____________

"_Eeee!_" I squealed as I danced around the grand, all cream-colored bedroom. "YAY!"

I didn't care if I woke Gray up; this was the day we left for Mineral Town. Oh, joyous, beautiful day! I must have been a sight; some overexcited blonde clad in baggy boxers and a blue shirt too big for her, dancing around her bedroom.

I waved my arms around as I moved myself backwards, shaking my hips to the invisible, silent beat that was going through my head. And I just so happened to knock into something rock solid and warm.

Oh, Gray was up, we could leave sooner!

Woo!

I whipped around, a large grin on my face, and kissed the sleepy-looking man in front of me on the nose. He blinked a couple of times, his large hand ruffling his outrageously messy rust-colored hair, before finally acknowledging me standing before him.

"Uhhh…good…morning?" he muttered haphazardly, his voice low and husky from sleep.

"Aren't you excited?" I beamed as I flitted around him in a large circle, taking note that I had almost hit the bed in my over-eager outburst.

"Claire, its like," he checked the black alarm clock on the nightstand on the opposite wall, "_five in the morning. _No, I am _not_ excited. _Let's go back to bed_," Gray said, the last sentence coming out as a mere whine.

He went to grab my wrist, but being as I was slightly more awake and energized than him, I twirled out of his grasp and landed on the bed with a small _'oomph!_'. Well _that_ wasn't part of my plan of getting away.

Before I could get up and protest any further, Gray was in front of me, slightly frowning. Moving my messy bangs away, he laid a kiss on my forehead, then gently traced his lips down to the corner of my mouth, where he mumbled a quiet but forceful, "Bed,_ now_."

I pushed him away, which earned me a chuckle. "You suck," I stuck my tongue out at him before falling backwards onto the plush bedding with an exasperated sigh.

_____________

I pulled the cotton zip-up hoodie closer to my body, the ocean breeze a little too chilly for my taste. Closing my eyes, I let out a small, content sigh as I listened to the waves plop against the side of the boat.

We were almost _home_.

_Mineral Town._

Saibara stayed behind to be with Sophia since she was just released out of the hospital, almost as good as new. I had to say, I was actually quite proud of him for doing that, despite what I said about him to Gray beforehand.

Penelope and Sophia were sad to see us go, but I just didn't think I could have lasted another week away from where I really belonged, my _real_ home. Staying at the mansion (which was now Gray's, but he just let Sophia keep it) was nice and all, but I really missed my own house. It was just recently remodeled and I hadn't even got the chance to truly appreciate it yet.

I suddenly felt a hand (which could only be Gray's; unless it was Zack's, then we had a major problem) gently squeeze my shoulder. "Look," he whispered in my ear, which made me shiver (yes, definitely Gray).

I turned to where he was pointing and my face immediately lit up. We were almost to Mineral Beach, and in the distance I could make out four figures standing on the beach. Of course I knew who they all were.

When I heard a high pitched squeal coming from the one and only Ann once the boat got closer, I couldn't help but crack a wide smile, waving and yelling back at her.

I didn't even make it half way off the boat before I was glomped.

* * *

**IT'S OVER!!!!!!**

**Did I fool you all? Heh heh. Yeah, I know, not funny. -utterfailblahblah-**

**_Gawd_, I know it sucked. I'm not particulary happy with this chapter (except for them nice Graire moments!), but I tried my best. Trust me, the last few chapters (sobsobsob) will be waaaaay better. Srzly. Which reminds me -- I still have about...eh, maybe two chapters left in me, plus a nice ol' epilogue. Pretty sure it may only be one more chapter, it depends. My plans for the ending? Oh, you'll just have to wait (not as long) and find out, now don't you? :P Yeahyeahyeah.**

**Furthermore, I'm finished with the first part of _Love Sick_, my lovely little JackAnn (Jaann, perhaps? eh, idk) fic. It is set in the winter, and I want to know if you all are interested in reading the first part now (it's over 20 pages!!!!) and wait a while for the next part (heh, yeah...). Yes, it is rather amusing. You will just love Ann ohsomuuuuuch. Just let me know! I'm not sure if I want to make it into a long fic, or just have three or four parts to it.**

**Yeah, I know, for all of you who are reading _She Will Be Loved_, I'm going to work on that until my fingers fall off _after_ I'm done with _Just a Memory_.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ahhh! Don't hate me! Seriously!**

**And yeah, I lied. There is going to be one more chapter and _then_ the epilogue. Cuz 13 is an unlucky number and I just didn't want to write the last part of this story with this chapter. So, yeah. And I know it's a short chapter for such a long wait, but the next one will be worth it. I promise you (hopefully). Now I'm going to stop babbling and let you guys read! Any mistakes or spelling errors are my fault. After rereading this chapter over ten times, I started getting sick of it. Bleh.**

**I want to thank all who have favorited, alerted, and reviewed this story! I love you all so much, it really means a lot to me! Hopefully I can get the next chapter out a lot sooner this time around (I'm hoping before Christmas).**

* * *

Somehow I didn't think time could pass me by so quickly, but apparently it did. It was already the sixth day of winter, Gray's birthday, but it felt like it was just yesterday that we had returned from the city.

The six of us (Ann, Cliff, Mary, Kai, Gray, and I) were relaxing at my home, celebrating Gray's twenty-second birthday. I had to admit, Gray was…doing _okay_, but somehow I knew he was isolating himself from everyone.

Said man was leaning against the counter in my small kitchenette, arms crossed, eyes distant. I furrowed my brow, frowning, before I made my over to him. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw me and my frown disappeared, replaced with a small smile.

Before he was able to get a word in, I said, "Let's go for a walk, okay?"

His stoic demeanor faltered before he answered. "O-okay."

Gray waited for me by the door as I shrugged into my silver and white baby-doll coat and put my silver flats on. After saying a quick goodbye to everyone, who were all frolicking around the Christmas tree I had recently bought, we went outside.

Snow had only just fallen, and it left a thin, sparkling white blanket across my whole farm. Even though the heavy snow clouds blocked the sun, a few rays were still able to shine through and melt a couple of patches of snow here and there.

Gray and I headed for the bridge at the very edge of my farm, leading to the forest that surrounded the bottom-half of Mineral Town. I let out a puff of breath which turned into a small circle of fog once it hit the chilly winter air.

"So…"

I giggled. "You act as though there is something wrong."

Gray went to cover up his obvious blush with his hat, but upon remembering that he wasn't wearing it, opted to cross his arms with a loud huff instead. "Well, why else would we be walking out here for?" he asked, scoffing as he quickened his walking pace.

I frowned when I couldn't keep up with his long strides, but decided to tease him a tad bit more. "Can't I just take a walk with you without there being something wrong?" I called after him, a little out of breath.

Upon hearing my voice from a distance, Gray turned around and frowned. After mumbling a small apology, he walked back to where I was panting and splayed a large hand on my lower back for stability. "Forgot that you're allergic to exercise," he grinned as we started walking again.

"Hmph," I grumbled as I wrapped my hands around his lower arm, resting my head against his upper arm.

He let out a content hum as we walked past the snow-covered scenery in silence. The only thing that could be heard was our footsteps against the dirt path under our feet and the rare scuffle of animals on the forest floor.

By now we were standing near Kappa's Lake, and a shiver ran down my spine, but not from the cold. I had heard some weird things about a freaky green creature that lived in this lake, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rumors were true.

"Cold?" Gray asked, gently laying his arm around my shoulders.

"No," I shook my head. "Just thinking about random things. Like, I don't know; say, freaky grotesque green blobs that live in lakes and like cucumbers."

"Oh," he chuckled huskily, "you mean the Kappa."

I frowned and took a step backwards, yearning to stay _far _away from that body of water. "Ugh, what if it suddenly pops out of the water and starts moaning indecipherable words, grabs us both and then proceeds to drag us back into his watery domain and never be heard from again?!"

Gray gave me a weird-almost-humorous look before practically _guffawing_ on the cold, snowy ground. Well, not literally, but almost. He was clutching his sides and was bent over, laughing out loud. And I mean _loud_.

My face reddened. "I don't see what's so funny! And _please_, Gray, stay away from the edge of that lake!"

"First," he wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes, "it's _winter, _Claire, the lake is frozen over so you don't have to worry about the scary green blob coming out and grabbing you. And even if the lake wasn't frozen, the Kappa is a mere myth; no one has actually ever _seen_ it."

"Oh." Well I felt completely and utterly stupid. I had to remind myself never to listen to Karen EVER again when she was dunk. What the hell was wrong with me, listening to a drunken woman talking about a freaky-ass lake monster?!

He gave me an amused smile as he played with a few strands of my long hair. "Besides, you have me here to protect you from the big, bad, mythical lake creature."

"Yeah," I rolled my eyes playfully, "because that snippet of information makes me feel oh-so safe at night."

Suddenly, Gray wrapped a large hand around my waist and brought me flush against him, caressing my cheek with his knuckles. "Really." It wasn't a question.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you," I sighed as he buried his face into my hair.

"I don't deserve you," he mumbled into my hair, after some time of just standing there.

I barely heard what he said; his voice was hardly above a whisper. But I did hear it, and it made me frown slightly. "I'll be the judge of that, thank you."

A small _hmph_ was his immediate response. "Whatever," he pouted gruffly, his voice throaty and low.

That's when I gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, hovering over them in an intimate gesture as I spoke softly.

"_Happy Birthday_."

___________

Quite frankly, the man in front of me was grating on my last nerve. Somehow, in our recent conversation over breakfast, a very important fact involving Mary came up.

He still hasn't worked things out with her yet.

It got to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore and made a scene by standing up and yelling at him in front of everyone who was at the Inn at that time. Of course, they had no idea _what_ we were arguing about, but Gray wasn't about to give them a show.

So now we were just standing here, scowling at each other in his room on the second floor of the Inn.

It had only been a few days since Gray's birthday, and, slowly, he'd been growing distant with me. When I asked him a question, he'd only grunt or give me one word answers. He became more aggressive, more…_possessive_ withme. If Kai got even remotely too touchy with me, Gray would be there, eyeing him like a hawk. It made Kai scamper away like a hurt puppy, and left me slightly confused and a tad bit angry. When Gray would kiss me, it was urgent, unsure, and slightly on the rough side. Like…he was afraid I wouldn't kiss him back, or perhaps…reject him in some way. But that was silly logic, for I couldn't reject him even if I tried. Whatever was going on in his head needed to stop.

First I thought the death of his father was finally sinking in, but when his actions continued, well, it bewildered me. Certainly someone couldn't act like that because a death of a loved one, but I suppose that grief affected people differently. So I pushed his odd behavior to the back of my mind, giving him the excuse of working too hard with his grandfather at the blacksmith's.

And now I just recently found out that this little predicament with Mary was still unresolved. I, of course, already made amends with the quiet librarian, but Gray still hadn't. I never believed him to be this stubborn or to be this much of a jackass.

It didn't help that now he was being even more broody than usual. He hardly talked to me anymore, and he kept his distance from most of the people in town. Even Cliff, who was his roommate and best friend.

Gray was doing his best to not meet my gaze with his own. The scowl was still plastered to my face, and I knew he didn't want to see the disappointment evident in my eyes. If I knew one thing that stayed constant in his changed behavior, it was that he hated it when I was disappointed in him for doing something stupid.

Like now.

"What it is your problem with not being able to confront Mary?" I asked, demanding a straight answer from him. Gray just loved to either, a) answer my questions _with_ questions, or, b) ignore my questions entirely.

"There isn't a problem."

The way he answered, like he didn't give a damn about the whole thing, just made me snap.

"Apparently there is since you haven't talked to her yet. I know there was something between you two before I got here, Gray, don't be coy with me. I may be many things, but stupid isn't one of them. Perhaps you should explain to me why you keep avoiding her like the Black Plague."

He didn't say anything for awhile, and the silence led me to pick the imaginary lint off of my ivory-colored, long-sleeved, cashmere turtleneck. His silence was eating away at my very existence, and if I didn't get an answer soon, I probably would implode. Or explode. Whichever, they would both hurt the same in the end.

"She thinks she did something wrong," I added upon another minute of absolute quiet, my eyes sharp. "Goddess, I don't know why though. It's not her fault, that's for sure."

His arms were crossed now, a common sign that he was very much aggravated. He still wasn't looking at me, opting to rather gaze at the ground, his rust-colored hair hiding his face from my piercing stare.

I scowled and crossed my arms, mocking his stance. If he wasn't going to cooperate, I was just going to have to _make_ him. By doing the one thing I would never do.

Refuse him.

"Well," I stood up straighter, "since you aren't going to cooperate with me… I guess this just means I'm not talking to you until you get this _thing_ resolved between you and Mary."

His head snapped up after I said this, eyes wide with shock, but I was out the door before he could say anything.

___________

I trudged down the stairs, fuming. I hated pulling childish acts to make Gray listen to me, but if it was the only way for him to realize that he needed to step up and be a man, so be it. I just hoped we weren't fighting on my birthday that was in a few days. That would be the worst day of my life.

Ann was bobbing her head to some invisible music while wiping down the bar counter when I came stomping up to her, sitting down with a rather loud huff. I could feel Duke and Manna's eyes on me, as well as a few other patrons who were here earlier to witness my outburst.

"Lovers' quarrel?" Ann teased, continuing to wipe down the counter in front of her.

"Shut up, Ann," I grumbled, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Ah," she looked up and grinned, "so it _was_ a lovers' quarrel. Perhaps you should enlighten me."

The barmaid leaned over the counter, rag in hand, waiting expectantly. She apparently wanted me to explain why Gray and I were fighting. I really didn't want to, but this was Ann we were talking about, and Ann _always_ got what she wanted.

"It's about Mary_, _isn't it?"

My eyebrow quirked at that one. "How did you know that?"

Ann grinned, "Physic powers." She laughed, rolling her eyes when she saw the weird look on my face. "Nah, when you were yelling at Gray earlier you mentioned her name once or twice."

"Oh gawd," I placed my head in my hands dramatically. "I did, didn't I?"

She smirked. "Why yes, yes you did. And about half of the town heard you as well."

This wasn't good, but it wasn't like everyone was going to be kept in the dark for too long. Mineral Town was a small community, and our little squabble would probably make itself known in less than an hour.

I hated small towns, especially when the people were nosy.

I sighed outwardly, tucking a few loose strands of blonde hair behind my ear. "He hasn't talked to her about everything that has gone on yet, and Mary thinks she did something wrong. And I just told him that I wasn't going to speak to him until he straightened things out between her."

Ann dropped the rag and started tapping her chin, thinking, sporting a thoughtful expression. "Hmmm…"

Shaking my head, I tried to figure out my predicament. I placed my hands on the counter as I chewed on my bottom lip. I didn't know if I did the right thing when I told Gray I wouldn't talk to him, but what else was I supposed to do?

"Did I do the right thing?" I asked, casting my eyes downward and fidgeting with my hands.

"Oh, stop beating yourself up, Claire," Ann scolded, her eyes narrowing. "Of course you did the right thing! Men need guidance, they're puny little male brains are nothing without a woman's touch."

"You're weird," I joked. Laughing lightly, I felt much better for talking with her. "But thanks."

The redhead gave me a large grin, her eyes shining. "No prob, girlfran."

___________

I hugged my coat closer to myself as I walked down the snow-covered, cobbled road. Days like this, when the wind was being quite annoying, was when I wished I had a car out here in Mineral Town. The wind blew once again, making my eyes water and my nose run.

What a crappy day to celebrate my twenty-second birthday.

Well, why was I walking in the harsh winter cold, alone, you ask?

Mary. Wanted me to stop by the library today to give me a present or something. I didn't really know because I tuned her out for more than half of the conversation; I was just so excited to get out of my damn house, let alone listen to _why_ I was getting out of the house.

Eh, oh well.

For the past few days all I did was take care of the small amount of animals that were on my farm, avoid Gray, talk to Ann, and just sit at my kitchen table and stare at the wall for _hours_. Gawd, there was nothing else to _do_ in the winter. I was surprised that I was still sane from doing nothing for so long. I wanted to pull my hair out, it was getting so bad.

And now I really wished I hadn't told everyone not to throw me a party for my birthday, because now I had nothing to actually do. At least with a party I would have an excuse to not stare at walls for hours on end. Really, what was going through my head when I told Ann not to worry about not throwing me a party? Geez, sometimes I could be so doltish.

Gray was no help either. Sometimes when he came over to my house (even though I never talked to him, let alone looked at him; heck, I didn't even let him _in_, he just strolled right on in as if he owned the damn place), he would sit down next to me and just stare at the walls as well. Now that I thought about it, we had no ordinary relationship. I mean, really, what kind of couple, that was silently fighting, stared at walls all day?! It wasn't normal, but I guess my life was far from normalcy.

I hurriedly opened the door leading to the library, turning around to make sure the door slammed shut behind me. Shuddering from the cold, I scrunched my nose in confusion as to why the lights were off…

Crap.

Well, I had two options. Either flip the switch and act surprised, or just stand there, letting them know I figured it out and ruin their plans of throwing me a surprise party. After letting out a small, quiet sigh, I turned on the lights and sashayed around to face my-

Nothing. There was absolutely nothing there. Just a few books scattered across the table waiting to be put away and a pile of loose-leaf paper on Mary's desk. Now I was just acting silly, I told them I didn't want a party, so why would they thrown one?

I sighed in relief.

Since Mary was nowhere in sight, I decided to check the back room for any sign of the librarian. Knowing her, she was probably alphabetizing her library cards for the third time today. She told me it kept her level-headed and calm, but I knew if I had to do that multiple times a day I would practically go insane.

I called out Mary's name. Just silence. It didn't even seem like the clock on the wall above Mary's desk was making its annoying little _ticking_ noises. By this time I was getting worried. What if something horrible happened? Was Mary hurt? Did she lock herself in the backroom for some obscurely odd reason?

With these worrying thoughts racing through my mind, I jogged over to the door leading to the backroom and practically swung the door off its hinges.

"Hey-"

"SURPRISE!!!!"

And I fell flat on my ass.

___________

"How does it feel to be old?"

I glared at the red-head and stuck my tongue out at her. "I'm only twenty-two."

"Yeah, because twenty-two-year-olds stick their tongues out at people."

I laughed. "Well if you're saying _I'm_ immature, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Ann grinned and started walking away to go talk to Karen and Popuri who were sitting on a small couch a few feet away. "Absolutely, positively…_nothing_."

Heh, that's what I thought.

Well, after everyone fretted over my fallen form once I stepped into their little surprise, they all congratulated me on becoming twenty-two. It didn't even feel like my birthday, it just felt like any other day, except for that fact that the whole young generation of Mineral Town was crowded in the back room of Mary's library.

After taking a sip of my soda, I took the time to look at everyone around me. Ann was making odd gestures as she talked with Karen and Popuri. I silently laughed at her silliness. I hoped Ann never changed; she was a handful, but she was amazing none the less. Cliff and Rick were leaning against the opposite wall from where I was standing, talking to each other quietly. It didn't help that Cliff kept stealing glances at Ann and Rick kept glaring at Kai, who, at this moment, was mega-flirting with a very flustered, _very_ flushed librarian. I think everyone was just waiting for the day those two came out and told everyone that they were dating.

Gray was nowhere to be seen, which had me confused. Ann said something about him helping with the party planning, and that it was partially his idea in the first place. So where in the world was he anyway? Of course, we were still not on speaking terms, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to fret over him.

As soon as I was finished with my drink, I walked up to Cliff and Rick and talked to them for a few minutes before Rick's constant glares towards Kai started annoying the crap out of me. "Hey," I snapped my fingers at the chicken farmer when I didn't get his attention. He reluctantly turned towards me with force.

"Yeah?"

"Could you stop with the glaring? Kai isn't doing anything wrong, and I'd really appreciate it if everyone just got along on my birthday, okay?"

Rick's shoulders visibly slumped and his face resembled that of a hurt puppy that had just been scolded. "Sorry…of course, Claire."

I gave him a small smile. "And Kai isn't a bad guy; trust me on this, yeah?"

He crinkled his nose in disgust but quickly masked it with a smile. "Sure…"

"Thanks," I said halfheartedly as I left him to his own devices. If he continued to stare at Kai as if he'd suddenly go crazy and start charming _everyone _in the room, I'd have a few more choice words to say to him.

I decided to go talk to Ann, but upon noticing Cliff talking to her, and how she was giggling like a little school girl, I opted to leave them alone and go see how Mary was doing. The librarian was talking civilly to the purple-clad traveler (thanks to her sewing skills, Mary had made Kai a new bandana, much to Ann's chagrin), and they both looked like they were in deep conversation. Hopefully they didn't mind talking to me since I had no one else to talk to. Gawd, I was such a loser sometimes.

"Hey!" Mary grinned when she saw me walking towards them. "How do you like your little party?"

I laughed; it was airy, light. "I'm enjoying myself, thank you. What were you two lovebirds talking about?" I grinned at Mary's blush to the nickname I gave them. Kai just smirked knowingly. What…

"O-o-oh, what? We w-w-were talking ab-about nothing, C-Claire!" She managed to sputter out. What had gotten into her? They weren't keeping a secret from me, were they?

"Wha-"

"What my girl Mary here is trying to say is that it's none of your business what we talk about in our spare time, Claire. You are so nosy sometimes, I swear," Kai grinned. I could tell he was teasing me by the twinkle in his eye. Of course he'd say something foolish like that…now I really wanted to know what they were talking so intently about.

"Now, no, that's not what I meant-"

"Where's Gray?" I suddenly asked, opting to change the subject before they both started bickering at each other. Or worse, before _I_ started yelling at them to tell me what they were secretly whispering to each other.

"Oh, Gray?" Kai chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously."I really-"

"H-He's…making waffles!"

I raised my eyebrow at that. "He's…_what_?"

"Mary!" Kai hissed, his eyes growing as big as saucers. "Wow, would you look at the time?" he asked as he grabbed the sputtering librarian's arm. "Heh heh…we gotta go…_help Gray make those waffles!_"

They were both out the door before I could even open up my mouth to try and stop them.

…What the heck just happened?!

First off…Gray _didn't like_ waffles. Why would he be _making_ them? They were obviously just hiding something from me, of course. What else was new? And second, I didn't even know where Gray was! What the heck was going on?!

"Ann," I said as I approached the redhead who was still talking to Cliff. They both turned their undivided attention towards me immediately. "Do you know what's up with Kai and Mary? They were acting really funny before they just ditched me…saying something about helping Gray make waffles…but Gray doesn't even like waffles! Speaking of Gray, where is he?"

Both Ann and Cliff's eyes got so wide that I thought they would pop out. A funny image skirted across my mind: Ann and Cliff trying to retrieve their fallen eyeballs, blind, whilst making fools of themselves by bumping into each other. I chuckled despite myself.

"JESUS CLAIRE!!! Can't a man have himself some waffles if he wants them? Who cares if he doesn't _like_ them, if he wants to make them, let him!" Ann all but shrieked at me.

Her outburst startled me (and, apparently, the rest of the occupants in the room, who were all just as silent as I was) and all I could do was stand there and stare at her. Cliff nervously looked anywhere but at me while Ann kept rambling on about Gray and his sudden waffle epiphany.

"I think," Cliff finally spoke, interrupting Ann's massive rampage, "that I should take Ann home before she hurts herself."

"I am not going to hurt my-" the redhead stopped suddenly, something finally dawning on her. "OH! Oh yes, please take me home! I am a hazard to my health! Hurry Cliff!"

I kept staring at the exact spot they were both standing at even as they walked out the door, leaving my party.

"Well then." That was Rick, to my left. "Oh, Claire! Are you okay?"

I shook my head, as if to get rid of the craziness that just ensued. I swear if stupidity was a virus, Ann could probably spread it around the whole town like peanut butter and jelly on white bread…

Oh dear gawd… I probably caught Ann's Stupid.

And that was when I knew I needed to stop hanging out with Ann so much.

"What…just happened?" I asked reluctantly (because I _really _didn't want to know), rubbing my eyes. They were sore from having them open so wide for such a long period of time. Staring at Ann wigging out could do that to people.

"…I think Ann finally hit rock bottom."

"Now Karen," Rick chastised, "Ann's just tired." Even _Rick_ knew that statement was ridiculous.

A hand came out of nowhere and landed on my forehead. "You don't look too well, maybe you should go home and get some rest," Doctor Tim suggested as he felt up my forehead. "I'm sure the rest of us could clean up."

The funny thing was that I didn't even know Tim and Elli were at the party. _Wow, Claire. Real observant._ And here he was feeling my forehead to see if I had some fever or something. Which I didn't. I was just weirded out.

_Extremely_ weirded out.

"Yeah…maybe I should just go home…"

After saying my goodbyes and getting a few more "_Happy Birthday!"'s _thrown my way, I grabbed my coat and left the backroom of Mary's library in a confused haze.

And now I was alone in the front room, still slightly shocked from what had just happened.

So, okay, I knew a few things so far: Gray was definitely _not _making waffles (that is the stupidest excuse to make up when you're being asked a question, seriously); Ann, Kai, Mary, and Cliff were all hiding something from me; Gray was definitely going to get it for ditching my birthday to do whatever he was…doing. I mean, sure, we were fighting and all, but that didn't mean that he had to skip out on the party _he_ helped plan. What was wrong with the man? Did he just think since we were fighting that I didn't want him there? Of course I wanted him there, he was my boyfriend!

And now my party was cut short because I just _had_ to ask questions. Yeah, a lot of good that did me. Somehow I couldn't help but blame myself for all of the weirdness seeming to be going on.

___________

I went straight home because there was no way in hell that I was going to go chase after Ann or any of the other four stooges. I had enough of their cracked-up weirdness for one afternoon. And I didn't even want to begin on the Gray situation. I'd leave that for another time. All I wanted to do was go home and take a nap until it was time to wake up again tomorrow morning.

The good news was that the wind had finally died down since this morning. Even the sun came out to warm up the remainder of the afternoon. At least the weather turned out to be better than I planned. At least the day didn't stay as dreary as it was this-

"Claire."

"Ayeeeeeaaaahh!!!" I screamed, jumping about ten feet into the air. Someone was at my door, obviously waiting for me to get home. And when I saw who it was I started screaming some more.

"Claire, _dear goddess_, calm down! It's only me," Gray practically hissed at me, though, through my screaming frenzy, I could still see a slight smirk decorating his face. He was obviously amused by my sudden fright.

I took a couple of deep breaths, glaring at the man leaning on my front door looking absolutely smug, to calm myself. "Y-you," I pointed at him, "I _hate_ it when…," breathe, "people do that to me!"

He lowered his gaze so that he was looking at his feet instead of at me. "Sorry…"

I sighed. "It's fine, Gray. But please, just don't do it again."

Gray looked up at me again, making me gasp at what I saw. His eyes were dark, smoldering, and it felt as though he could see straight through me, into my very soul. I tried my hardest to keep my eyes locked on his, but it was hard.

"No, Claire. I'm _sorry._"

We were both quiet after that; me mulling over that statement and Gray still leaning against the door with his hands in his pockets, fidgeting nervously, and waiting for me to respond.

There was just so much meaning behind that simple apology; he was apologizing for everything he did and so much more. I didn't even have to ask him if this was true, I just _knew_. Well, if he was willing to make amends, then I was willing to listen.

"Why weren't you at my party today? I thought you were the one who helped plan it."

He scoffed then, breaking his gaze with mine, obviously having a hard time over something I just said. "I…I just…," he paused; running a hand through his unruly shaggy hair. His other hand kept fidgeting in his right pants pocket. "Claire…I…," he scowled.

"What?" I asked, confused. Why was it so hard for him to talk to me all of a sudden? What did he need to say? "What's wrong?"

Gray rolled his eyes at me. "Nothing's _wrong_," he drawled, his voice deep and rough. "Why would there be something wrong?"

It was my turn to scowl. "Well maybe it's the fact that you can't spit out what you want to say. Why wouldn't there be anything-"

"Just…just not _here, _okay?" he interrupted me, sounding hesitant. "Can we go somewhere else? Yeah. Let's go for a walk."

"Uhhh…" I just nodded because I couldn't seem to make coherent words come out of my mouth. I was confused, again, and even more-so. Why couldn't we talk here? Or, you know, _inside_? But then again, that wouldn't be Gray's style. His style was to confuse me every chance he got. Of course this wouldn't be easy. I was an idiot for thinking otherwise.

"This better be good," I mumbled under my breath as he grabbed my hand.

I'm pretty sure he didn't hear me.

___________

We brushed past a few snow-covered bushes and walked into a small clearing surrounded by trees. Even though everything was dead during winter didn't mean it all couldn't look so beautiful. Large icicles hung from bare branches, glistening in the setting sun. Gray moved to the right, kicking at the sparkling, untouched snow on the ground with his hands in his front pockets.

I smiled as I walked towards a large, lone rock in the middle of the clearing, disrupting the perfect blanket of white fluff below my feet. I always had the urge to leave my footprints in the unmarked snow ever since I was a child; it always amused me to do so.

After brushing off the small layer of snow on the top of the rock, I breathed out as I sat down, watching my foggy breath mingle with the chilly air. Even though winter made everything look pretty, I longed for it to be fall again. It was my favorite season, I loved everything about it; the soft colors, the way the leaves changed, the holidays…

"We need to talk."

Well, I was glad I was sitting down because if I was standing up when he said that my legs would have probably given out. I stared at his oncoming form with wide eyes; his eyes staring at me intently, his mouth set in a straight, grim line…

This could _not_ be good; nothing spectacular came out of a statement like _'We need to talk'_. I sucked in a breath as he knelt in front of me, staring at me with such intensity that I just couldn't look away. His dark pools of blue were swirling with an emotion that I couldn't quite decipher, which bothered me, and I watched him until his face disappeared and I felt his lips next to my ear, a touch whispering against my skin.

"Don't be scared."

His unusually hot breath tickled my ear and I involuntarily shivered, letting out the breath I didn't even know I was holding. I knew I was acting nervous, and I knew he could tell. But afraid?

"Scared of what?" I asked quietly, as coyly as I could.

He chuckled, moving his face down so his nose lingered at the skin right below my ear for a few fleeting moments, kissing there twice before leaning backwards to look me in the face.

"Of what I'm about to ask you."

A thick layer of ice froze over my heart, and it wasn't because of the cold, frigid weather. My breathing came out heavy and labored, and I knew Gray was keenly aware of that fact.

"Did you speak with Mary?" I inquired as I blew out a puff of warm air. I needed to change the subject, and fast.

Gray shot up immediately and paced around me for a few minutes. He patted his pocket a few times, seemingly musing over my question in his head. "Of course I did," he answered, his voice quiet. A few beats passed. "I'm not fond of upsetting people, but it always seems like I do it unconsciously." Gray scowled as he told me this last part. Obviously he wasn't happy about it.

"Well, I'm happy you and Mary are finally friends again. I know how much she adores you."

He scoffed at my comment and rushed a shaking hand through his unruly mop of coppery hair. "She shouldn't," was all he said.

Before I could open my mouth to retort, though, Gray hopped down on one knee in front of me. His movements were so unexpected that I jumped up in the air a few inches and gasped at his sudden closeness.

"Claire."

"Gray," I breathed out.

He rubbed his thumb across my knuckles as he fiddled with something in his pocket. After a few agonizing minutes, he brought out a small, dark blue velvet box. Tears instantly pooled my eyes and my breath hitched dramatically.

"I made it myself," Gray mentioned before opening the box slowly.

My heart practically stopped beating.

The ring was so beautiful that it almost took my breath away. It was a platinum engagement ring with small rounded diamonds encrusted around the entire band. In the middle was a large, sparkling diamond surrounded by a diamond of small sapphires. Tiny, elegant script covered the inside of the band. It read: _For my only love, Claire_.

He took it out of the box and slipped it onto my ring finger. The ring looked so perfect; it was meant to adorn my hand. "So this is why you didn't show up to my party," I acknowledged as I held up my left hand to observe the large diamond twinkle in the sun's rays.

Gray chuckled lightly. "I was nervous."

"You shouldn't have been."

"I know," he said with a husky tone, taking my left hand and staring at the beautiful ring on my finger. "I'd be honored, Claire, if you would be my wife."

I breathed in. And then breathed out.

"It sure is a pretty ring," I said slowly, gauging his reaction. Gray swallowed nervously, still holding onto my hand. He was waiting patiently for my answer, which he seriously should have known by now.

"Of course I'll marry you."

I was suddenly lifted into a hug as Gray twirled me around the snow-covered clearing. I cried happily into his neck as he whispered, "Happy Birthday, Claire," into my ear.

I vaguely realized that it started to snow.

* * *

**SQUEEEEE!!! Did you like it? Hate it? Let me know in a review, and I'll try to reply. I know I haven't been replying to much of anything lately, but it's been a busy school year. I know that's a stupid excuse, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things here on ffnet. So...yeah. LOL. Anyway, if you want a picture of the ring, I'll post a link up in my profile page. And you wanna know how Gray made such an awesome ring? Well, he just did. Don't question it. The next c****hapter is the WEDDING! Yaaaaay!**

**Lots of love,  
Brittanee.**


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